It is horrific, to say the least, as it took more than an hour-and-a-half for a 108 ambulance to reach Sodiem, in Siolim, to save the life of a foreign tourist who had collapsed and rolled in pain by the roadside. By the time the ambulance arrived, the foreigner had breathed his last and the ambulance was used as a ‘hearse van’ to transport the body to the hospital. This is not the first time its happening.
In Monday’s (November 20, 2023) edition of O Heraldo’s Citizen Herald page, Lourdes Monaliza D’Costa, a citizen from Curchorem expressed her anguish at the lack of ambulance services and doctors at the Community Health Centre. Her father suffered an acute myocardial infarction (heart attack leading to blockage) and since the ambulance services did not arrive in time, it was too late to save him. Yet another family lost a loved one due to negligence and delay on the part of the medical attention providing agencies, the ambulance service and the Health Department for not having sufficient doctors on duty during the night hours at health centres.
It is a known fact that the Golden Hour is the most crucial in any medical emergency situation, and despite knowing the odds, here are two very horrific incidents that highlight the plight about which Goans complain very often at any accident site -the delay in arrival of an ambulance. Very often these verbal complaints are considered rants by ignorant citizens and ignored by the agency incharge of providing emergency services, the health department, as well as the police. After every such incident, life carries on as usual, except that someone loses a precious life.
Earlier this month, O Heraldo reported the concerns raised by citizens regarding the state of ambulances at North Goa District Hospital in Mapusa. Locals alleged that four ambulances, which are crucial in ferrying the sick and injured, are currently lying in a state of disrepair. Two more have been reportedly parked permanently behind the hospital and have been left idle. As a result, the ‘108 emergency services’ ambulances are used to transport patients from the District Hospital to Goa Medical College (GMC), Bambolim, despite the District Hospital having its own ambulances at its disposal.
On the same day, the Health Minister congratulated and expressed his gratitude towards the 108 ambulance services for completing 15 years of services in Goa and claimed, “We are also the first state to have around 105 ambulances providing lifesaving support to citizens.” He informed that Goa is the third State to start the 108 Ambulance Service and the first to introduce Cardiac and Neonatal Ambulance. Certainly, every citizen should be proud of the initiatives and services; but when so much of the exchequer is spent and yet you have a considerable number of deaths due to delays, then questions will be raised on the efficiency and gaps in providing emergency services.
Every Member of Parliament (MP) during his tenure, through the Members of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD), donates at least one ambulance to the State health services, especially through the public-run hospitals at the local level. Again, exchequer’s money is spent in purchasing these ambulances, but the conditions of these ambulances within a short span of time from being launched, is an open secret. They are nothing less than the rickety vehicles that are on the verge of being discarded.
The Health Department has to take up an overhaul of the ambulance services provided in the State. Taking into consideration that 105 ambulances are providing services under ‘108’ and guessing that an equal number of ambulances are functioning under the various hospitals apart from the private and social welfare organisations’ ambulances, a large fleet of ambulances is available in the State, but not organised. The 108 ambulances need to be exclusively available for emergency services, while the quality of the ambulances stationed at public hospitals and health centres needs to be upgraded to provide better services to the public.
Without a coordinated effort, the ambulance services could shall end up fulfilling the task of hearse vans, just like the Siolim incident on Monday.
