MARGAO: While the South Goa District Hospital building will be ready by the end of the month, the hospital should commence operations by Goa Liberation Day said Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardessai at a function held to commission the second cardiac care ambulance for Salcete.
He admitted that cardiac care was a serious issue in Salcete and assured that the South Goa District Hospital will be equipped with a Cath lab to provide all necessary health care facilities. “There is no point having a hospital if patients have to be taken to GMC every now and then and that is why the hospital will be a truly state of art institution,” he said.
Vijai said that 30 per cent of the deaths occurring in Goa are due to cardiac attacks and said that this was bound to happen given Goan lifestyle of being susegad, meat eaters and avoiding physical labour and expressed surprise that a physically fit person like Additional Collector Agnelo Fernandes could get the attack.
Stating that his dream was to make Fatorda a model constituency and town that offers all facilities to its residents, he said people of Fatorda should benefit from the hospital that has been constructed on fields acquired from the farmers at a throw away price.
“While Health Minister is doing a lot of good work and his idea of outsourcing work is giving good results, one has to keep in mind that development has to be centred around the locals and that is why I would request the health minister to see that locals get jobs in the new hospital,” he said.
He also advised GVK to appoint locals as drivers of the ambulances as they would know the short cuts and will reach the destination quickly. “Getting people from Valpoi employed everywhere will not be the solution,” he quipped.
The cardiac care ambulance was officially commissioned by Dr Vankatesh Hegde chairman of the Hospicio visiting committee, Vijai Sardessai and Margao Municipal Council Chairperson Dr Babita Prabhudessai.
The first of its kind in the country Cardiac Care Ambulances are also commissioned at Mapusa, Canacona, Margao, Fatorda and the fifth will be commissioned at Ponda shortly.
The cardiac care ambulances are purchased with the Rs 1.5 crore provided by MRF its Corporate Social Responsibility and these ambulances according to Director of Health Services Dr Sanjeev Dalvi was akin to taking the ICU of a hospital to the patient’s house.
