It may be stated that last week, Mayem MLA and Assembly speaker Anant Shet inaugurated a PHC in Mayem, thereby creating a doubt among the people of Bicholim about the upgrading of the PHC at Bicholim.
Nikhil Dixit, a local, stated that an upgrade of the Bicholim PHC should be done even if the government had opened another PHC in the nearby Mayem area. He said, “No doubt, the Mayem PHC was needed so that people could get immediate treatment, but upgrading of the Bicholim hospital is required. The Mayem hospital might get some time for its functioning so it would have been better if the government had to upgrade the already existing Bicholim PHC.”
He also stated that just upgrading the Bicholim PHC would not solve the problem as what was most necessary was the type of facilities it provided. He said, “Today only first aid treatment is given to patients in Bicholim PHC and they are referred to Asilo Mapusa or GMC, Bambolim. In this regard, the PHC should be upgraded so that the doctors could have enough resources to treat patients.”
It may be stated that the government had inaugurated the Bicholim PHC despite the demand from the locals and Bicholim MLA Naresh Sawal that the hospital be upgraded first. The Bicholim MLA had also written to the government several times for its upgrading.
Another resident, Arjun Parab had the same opinion about the issue. He said, “The PHC itself has become a patient. There are ambulances, but they are most of the time unrepaired. The PHC lacks basic facilities and so the people have to go to either private hospitals or
Mapusa. An upgrade is needed, but at the same time, the facilities should be given and proper maintenance should be taken up so that it works properly.”
When contacted, the Mayem panch Urvi Masurkar claimed that the Mayem PHC was needed. She said, “People from Mayem found it difficult to go to Bicholim, which wasted their time and money. The Mayem PHC was the need of the hour and we had made this demand long back. The government can upgrade the Bicholim hospital, but they should not ignore the Mayem counterpart. The government should also appoint a lady doctor as many women from villages find it difficult to approach a male doctor.
