MARGAO: Taking a dig at the Government for the alleged plans of giving two floors of the New District Hospital to a private hospital, former Deputy Chief Minister and Goa Forward Party president Vijai Sardesai on Sunday demanded a categorical statement from the Health Minister that no private party will be associated with the hospital in anyway.
In a letter to Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, the Fatorda MLA Vijai wrote on the issue of the utilisation of available space and infrastructure at South Goa District Hospital.
Vijai said, “It is common knowledge that the number of COVID positive cases is spiking over the last few days in South Goa and the present situation for the proper medical care of patients is approaching a disaster of unprecedented proportions, because no COVID-specific beds are available in either the ESI Hospital or private hospitals in Margao and around. The fact that all political VIPs and even the Director of Health Services have sought treatment in private hospitals is a sorry comment on the capacity and quality of the Government’s degree of preparedness,”.
“In these circumstances, it is totally criminal to keep two entire floors of the South Goa District Hospital out of the purview of COVID care infrastructure, especially when the common Goenkar desperately needs such facilities to survive this pandemic. In any case, this hospital was meant to be a full-fledged 800-bedded district hospital, and was planned keeping in mind the future requirements of entire South Goa, which it was meant to cater to,” reminded Vijai.
He warned that any compromise in either the capacity or quality of the health services to be provided will not be tolerated by the people of South Goa.
“There was earlier talk about reserving space for a nursing hospital, which the people had objected to. I had also voiced my opposition to reducing even a single bed out of the planned 800 beds”, said the former Minister.
