CM calls urgent meet to streamline long-neglected CCHC functioning

MARGAO, JUNE 27
With Canconcars calling for a Canacona bandh on Monday, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat held an urgent meeting with the Health Minister Vishwajeet Rane, senior officials and elected representatives in the district collectorate here on Sunday morning in a bid to streamline the functioning of the long-neglected Canacona Community Health Centre.
After the meeting, the Chief Minister said the high-level meeting has taken a host of decision to ensure that doctors and other ambulances are made available at the health centre on a priority basis. “We have decided to fix the timings of doctors posted at the Canacona health centre. They will have to work from morning 9 am to evening 4.30 pm. This will help in streamlining the functioning of the centre”, Kamat added.
On the question of posting additional doctors to man the hospital, given the fact that doctors are not willing to work in Canacona, the Chief Minister said advertisements to recruit doctors will be published not in Goa media, but in neighbouring states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. “The government is sincere that there should be adequate doctors to man the health centre. The advertisement will be published by Wednesday”, he added.
The Chief Minister also announced that a new ambulance for the Canacona health centre, saying this will materialize in the next 15 days.
Taking into account the complaints that kidney patients have to travel to Margao in the absence of requisite facilities, the Chief Minister said a blood storage facility will become a reality within the next 15 days. “This blood storage facility will help kidney patients. They need not come to Margao after the facility takes shape”, he added.
He said the demand for a hearse van to transport the dead will be met by the Canacona Municipal Council.
Saying that the government means business in respect of providing basic infrastructure at the Canacona health centre, the Chief Minister said he along with the Health Minister will visit the Health Centre to ensure that all decisions taken at today’s meeting are implemented by the health officials.
The Health Minister, Vishwajeet Rane told newsmen that he has asked the health officials to compile minutes of today’s minutes by Monday so that all decisions are implemented on a priority basis.
The Chief Minister said today’s meeting was attended by the elected representatives, including Canacona MLA Vijay Pai Khot, ZP members Dayanand Pagi and Krishna Velip, former Minister, Sanjay Bandekar, sarpanchas and panchs from the Canacona.
When asked whether Monday’s bandh will be called off by the residents, the Chief Minister said the elected representatives are satisfied over the decisions taken at the meeting, adding that he would ensure implementation of the decisions in a time-bound manner.