From shortage of medical officers and nurses, the district hospital still lacks important facilities including 12-bedded ICU, a dialysis unit, a separate kitchen, laundry facilities and an incinerator.
The hospital premises may be seen to be clean and tidy, but it is of little use to patients in the absence of staff and services.
In December 2013, then Health Minister and current chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar had announced a ‘first of its kind initiative in Goa’, under which an NGO would start dialysis treatment.
He had claimed that these facilities would benefit patients as they would be charged very nominal fees at the district hospital. However, the facility is yet to be started.
The incinerator is not functional at the hospital because the GSIDC, which maintains the hospital, is yet to buy a fuel pump to make it operational. At present, treatment of medical waste is sent to the GMC hospital at Bambolim.
The district hospital commenced operations in September 2010, but it took more than 3 years to start a Blood Bank, when the Food and Drugs Administration granted permission to District Hospital to start a blood bank on February 20, 2013. However, the Blood Bank is not functioning round the clock due to shortage of staff.
In the absence of proper canteen facilities for visitors in the new District hospital, attendants of patients are compelled to go out of the hospital for meals and refreshments. Only tea and some snacks are sold at a small counter at the right side of the hospital’s reception room.
“There is a shortage of medical staff at the District Hospital in Mapusa. The hospital still requires 10 medical officers and 30 nurses. The Directorate of Health Services has recruited 10 medical officers, of which only one doctor has joined duty. The process of recruiting 30 nurses is in the pipeline,” said Paresh Raiker, president of the Hospital Visiting Committee (HVC).
“Despite the staff shortage, the hospital has managed to deliver services to the people. From January to August this year, 2,930 surgical operations were performed and 1,268 deliveries were conducted in the hospital. On an average, over 1,400 patients are admitted every month and more than 100 patients are being treated every day in the Casualty department.”
“To ensure the proper functioning of the hospital, 10 HVC members have been entrusted the task of looking after affairs of all wards in the hospital. These members will report the shortcomings observed in each ward during our monthly meeting,” said Raiker.
When contacted, the District Hospital’s Medical Superintendent Dr M Mohandas stated that the State government could not start an ICU unit as yet due to financial constraints.
“To reduce the workload on the GMC, the government plans to start an ICU with the financial assistance from the central government. The also government proposes to start a Dialysis Unit soon and this work will be outsourced,” said Dr Mohandas.
“Hospital linen is sent to the GMC hospital’s laundry every Friday, but the district hospital has requested the State government’s permission to send dirty linen twice to the GMC,” he said.
Commenting on the Blood Bank at the district hospital, Dr Mohandas added: “The Blood Bank has become operational and we conduct blood donation camps on a regular basis. Due to staff shortage, the Blood Bank functions till 4 pm.”
