Team Herald
PANJIM: In a bid to tide over the growing inflow of patients from outside the State to Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC) and other State-run hospitals, the government has decided to charge fees for consumables, from patients who do not have five year residency in Goa, from December 1 onwards.
Deen Dayal Swasthya Seva Yojana (DDSSY) cards or any other identity proof would be made mandatory for availing benefits at government-run hospitals.
“From December 1 this year onwards all non-Goans will have to pay a nominal fee to avail facilities in State-run hospitals like Goa Medical College, South Goa District Hospital (Hospicio), North Goa District Hospital (Asilo) and all Primary, Community and Urban Health centres,” Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said.
Rane Tuesday morning moved a file to form a five-member committee headed by Additional Secretary (Health) which will work out the modalities to allow free services in government-run hospitals only for those with Goa domicile.
He said the committee has to submit its recommendations on the pricing within the next ten days. The minister said the decision has been to taken to “ensure that Goans are getting a fair deal in these facilities”.
State-run hospitals cater to huge volume of patients from the Konkan belt in Maharashtra and Karwar from Karnataka.
“Almost 40 percent of the patients visiting GMC and the other two district hospitals are not from Goa due to which Goans have to face a lot of inconvenience,” Rane said.
The minister said, “People from outside Goa will not be denied the treatment but they will have to pay nominal fee to avail it.”
The committee comprises Additional Secretary (Health), Medical Superintendent GMC, Dean of GMC, Director of Health, Under Secretary Health and will have Rajananda Desai, Officer on special duty to Health Minister, as member secretary.
The minister said Goans who have DDSSY cards can produce them as identity. “If they don’t have DDSSY card then they can produce any document like voting card to prove that they are domiciled in Goa,” he added.
In 2014, then Health Minister Francis D’Souza had mooted a similar proposal, however, it had failed to take off. The Minister had been of the opinion that the infrastructure load on hospitals, especially GMC, is increasing tremendously while catering to a large number of patients, who visit on a daily basis.
