Last Sunday, there were two painful and sad stories we had to run, each a critical system alert on Goa’s delivery mechanisms. The first was a clear case of negligence in the delivery of health services notwithstanding if it was private public or in between, the other concerned “delivery of the different kind”- justice and human rights. The Government failed on both counts.
In the first, a 59-year-old man died reportedly, because the 108 ambulance supposed to move him from Dharbandora, adjoining Ponda, to the Goa Medical did not have a full oxygen cylinder. It was then decided to move him to another 108 ambulance at a pre decided spot at the Curti bypass. And here is the critical development. The replacement ambulance did not arrive forcing the ill equipped ambulance to move to the Ponda district hospital where the patient was brought dead.
Irrespective of any explanation that may come forth from the Government, these facts will not change. And while explanations can be given on how the death did not happen because of lack of oxygen, there is no explanation for the critical delay in reaching the patient to hospital. For instance the 20 minute delay while waiting for the replacement ambulance at the Curti bypass, needs to be accounted for. Any heart specialist will certify that this delay is the difference between life and death for a heart attack victim.
The second story was heart rending. No life was lost but a piece of Goa died. A father was allegedly sexually assaulting his daughter for two months. When the mother mustered courage to go to the Bicholim police station, the PSI turned around to say that it was a “family matter” and that the family should settle it. Even as an inquiry has now be ordered, to be conducted by the North Goa SP – a woman – there seems to be an effort to shield the PSI, with no one coming forward to identify him.
In both these cases there is a common thread of callousness which is all pervasive because there is no systematic process of punishment as well as reward. In the first instance, the agreement between the Health department and the EMRI services could be limited to transporting patients, but what needs to be looked at was whether the government, which equips such a service had a non-performance clause to cover situations like this. There was criminal negligence on the part of someone in the delivery chain of the ambulance service and that accountability has to be demanded and extracted.
With regard to the second instance of the father raping his daughter, the Bicholim police officer has this excuse to offer “The mother came with a complaint about her husband but not about sexually abusing his daughters”. The fine art of using words and sentences to confuse the opposition and the media, to get out of situations mastered by the Chief Executive of the state seems to have rubbed off on the lower level bureaucracy. Any complaint should have been registered and action taken and the truth here, according to the mother of the victim, is that she has indeed gone through the gruesome experience of having to narrate that her husband had been sexually assaulting her daughter. This is how the system creates blockages. It’s been four days since the case was finally registered a the Women’s Police Station and till now the police are creating an absolutely shady smokescreen of saying that they haven’t been able to “identify” the PSI who refused to register a case of rape a week ago.
A similar play of words was evident when the Chief Minister sought to clarify the death of the 59 year old from Dharbandora. He began with his classic condescending tone “None of those present here (assembly) have any medical knowledge and hence let’s not discuss it”. He went on to say that the patient suffered a severe cardiac arrest and died due to the attack and not due to lack of oxygen. At the same time he said that this ambulance had 30% oxygen and a replacement vehicle was called for. If Oxygen was not critical, then why did they invite a further delay by calling for a replacement vehicle? And why did the ambulance with deficient supply wait for the replacement ambulance for 20 minutes in vain for the replacement vehicle? And why didn’t the Chief Minister talk about this critical wait. The cardiac arrest may not have been the direct result of the lack of oxygen but who knows? But if the patient had reached the Ponda Sub district hospital or even the GMC 20 minutes earlier, that would have given him a semblance of a chance.
What we expect from the Chief Minister is call for accountability so that the system can deliver, not a protective hug to shield the system from scrutiny.
