GMC is the only medical college in
the state and it teachinghospital. There are students, residents and doctors in
large numbers. It is held in high esteem and this results in many people
rushing there even for the most basic problem. They should not be going to the
GMC but the local healthcare facility of the state in the area.
Hospicio hospital when it starts in
the south will reduce the load on the GMC . Please remember people on
stretchers is a phenomenon cannot be avoided. In the govt sector this is
common. Cannot say no to the patients. They come because they have a serious
illness or they cannot afford to pay. No option but to keep them on the floor
till alternate arrangements are made.
The hospital beds should be used only
for serious illnesses and other cases should be referred to other health
facilities. We have 2500 beds in the
private sector and 2500 in the public sector and it is enough but it needs to
be planned better. We have beds where we don’t need them. We ned an app so that
the authorities can be kept abreast as to the availability of beds. It is sad
that people who can afford to pay in the private sector come to the GMC using
contacts and those who cannot but depend on earning something every day go to
the private sector pay money and get their treatment.
Dr.Shekhar Salkar,
Manipal Hospital
Goa Medical College’s infrastructure
is grossly inadequate to meet the demand and found to be over-stressed most of
the time. I feel that expansion of existing facilities and patient intake
capacity is the critical need of the hour. The super-speciality block under
construction next door will operate in its own field, I do not think it will
take the pressure off GMC. The government’s priorities appear misplaced
Savio J F Correia, Vasco Da Gama
I would suggest that primary health
care centres at local level should be well equipped to handle most of the
regular cases. The admissions to GMC can be made in the basis of referral from
PHC or any other clinic/hospital only in non-emergency cases.
Akbar Khan , working professional
The health centres of Panchayats
should get upgraded to proper govt hospitals/dispensaries equipped with enough
work force and diagnostic infrastructure so that patients need not have to
reach GMC for everything. One of the most important requirements of today is
Day/Night medical shops after every 5 kms where OTC medicines and prescribed
medicines are available. Tirth Prasad Nagvekar
Proprietor
Lack of class 1V trained staff is an
issue. Increase in bed strength is a necessity if Goa is going to cater to
neighbouring states as well. I have seen overworked health professionals at
GMC. I feel that the authorities need to intervene to make healthcare less
stressful and more accessible to all.
Dr Meenasksi Martins, Women’s rights
activist, Actor
We have a good system. Health centres,
PHCs and district hospital and GMC. Now govt is working on Speciality centres.
The cardiac care at GMC is comparable to the best. However, funds are an issue.
The district hospital is hanging fire. Are funds really an issue? we spent
almost 11 crores on a few people who could well afford their expensive
treatments.
Surely 11 crores could have seen the
district hospital at Margao commissioned or close to it. Beds could have been
added. The concept of some people being more equal than others needs to change
Blaise Costabir Business owner
There is a criminal waste of time in
opening the South Goa Hospital. The govt has to take blame for such a neglect.
It would have take a lot of load off GMC. The district hospitals must be
equipped with all facilities and consultants so that the GMC gets only what
cannot be dealt with at district level. There has to be taluka level hospitals
to deal with the sick. It is govt’s responsibility. Besides the MLA’s and
Ministers must patronize these hospitals for the public to gain confidence in
govt hospitals
Adv Cleofato Coutinho,
Lawyer, columnist and activist
The
key ways to optimize GMC functioning are
1)
Reference GMC must attend to only emergencies and patients
referred to the institution by fellow doctors in both the private and public
sector. GMC is a referral institution not a vegetable market. More tah half the
patients referred to top consultants in GMC are by local politicians and other
VIP’s and many of these patients are not serious in nature.
2)
Step Down: Decrease the patient load by transferring stable,
cold cases to the peripheral hospitals or health centres for eventual treatment
and recovery. Keep GMC for complex and critical patients. GMC is not a
dharamshala.
3)
Allocation: There must be one nodal point to allocate
resources, map the patient load and for redressal.
4)
Finally as regards this controversy, let politicians avail of
any facility anywhere but subject to referral by a GMC doctor who says that ,
the level of care and expertise is unavailable with us locally and extend that
facility to every other citizen as well.
Dr
Oscar Rebello
