Team Herald
PONDA: After a visit to the Sub District Hospital (SDH) in Ponda on Saturday, South Goa Member of Parliament Capt Viriato Fernandes, expressed serious concerns regarding the inadequate health facilities available to the local population.
He was accompanied by Leader of Opposition, Yuri Alemao; Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Amit Patkar and Congress leader Rajesh Verenkar. The delegation was received by Medical Superintendent Dr Jayshree Marcaikar.
The visit followed numerous complaints from residents about the hospital's lack of essential medical services, including doctors, CT scan and MRI machines, and ambulances. Both Fernandes and Patkar directed their criticism towards Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Health Minister Vishwajeet Rane, blaming them for the suffering of the people due to these deficiencies.
Capt Viriato echoed these sentiments, asserting that health is wealth and that the lack of facilities in Ponda and surrounding areas is alarming. He pledged to raise the issue with the Union Government, revealing that a company is willing to provide a CT scan machine, but the government has not accepted the offer. “The upgradation of SDH is badly needed to reduce the burden on GMC and Hospicio,” he stated.
Yuri highlighted that the SDH was established by the Congress government in 2012 to enhance healthcare access for the community. He lamented that under the current BJP administration, the hospital is severely understaffed and lacks necessary medical equipment. “We built projects for the people, but the BJP government has failed to maintain them,”Yuri stated. He commended the dedication of the existing medical staff but criticized the government for not providing adequate support in terms of infrastructure and financial resources.
Yuri further accused the government of prioritizing event organization over essential healthcare needs, stating, “This is condemnable, because the whole Ponda taluka is dependent on this hospital.” He urged the government to improve health facilities for the residents, emphasizing that despite having four ministers representing the area, the medical services remain insufficient.