Team Herald
MARGAO: Chairman of the Hospicio Visiting Committee Dr Venkatesh Hegde on Friday appealed to TCP Minister Vijai Sardessai to prevail upon the Public Works Department to once again check the structural stability of the Hospicio building where the dialysis unit is run and which has already been declared unsafe.
Briefing media persons, he said that he felt he had to intervene in the matter as the 35 patients undergoing dialysis with Dr Venkatesh Reddy have total trust in him and do not wish to shift to any other facility. However, he refused to comment on what would happen when the new District Hospital is commissioned at Fatorda.
“The patients have developed such relationship with Dr Reddy that they are not willing to shift to any other facility,” he said pointing out that Health Minister Vishwajit Rane had given the patients the chance to shift to any other empanelled facility.
He said Dr Reddy had told him that continuing at Hospicio was advantageous because the blood bank was nearby besides the hospital patient could also have their dialysis done within the premises instead of going somewhere else.
Replying to a question, Dr Hegde said that having a blood bank attached to the place where dialysis is carried out is not a necessity but definitely an advantage. He also pointed out that with the exception of Victor hospital none of the other places where dialysis is done in Margao have an attached blood bank.
Pointing out that the court had directed the Health Services to provide alternate location to Dr Reddy the alternate sites at TB Hospital Monte and old Collectorate building were found unsuitable as the blood bank was far away.
However, when asked what the patients would do once the new district hospital with a dialysis unit starts functioning by December this year, Dr Hegde had no answer except saying “if PWD finds that the building will survive for one year then Dr Reddy be permitted to continue with his dialysis unit there.”
