Team Herald
MARGAO: The under construction South Goa District Hospital will have all modern equipments to deal with all medical emergencies so that patients need to be referred to the Goa Medical College Hospital at Bambolim and many of the facilities will be outsourced, according to Health Minister Vishwajit Rane who also announced that it will be called Hospicio.
“The South Goa District Hospital will deal with nearly 40 per cent of the patients currently being handled at GMC hospital,” he said adding that the government was concerned about taking health care to the people as much as possible.
He said the South Goa District Hospital will have a fully functional ICU which may be outsourced. “Special care particularly post surgery is best handled by experts and hence ICU may have to be outsourced so that we get the best talent dealing with it,” he said.
He also hinted that radiology department may also be outsourced and pointed out how people have to wait for long to get MRI done at the GMC. “You cannot ask the patient to come after 15 days for an MRI and that is the reason why we may have to outsource some facilities to give best service to the people,” he said.
However, Vishwajit assured that Goans would not have to pay for any of the services specially those that are outsourced. “Goans are covered under the DDSSY scheme and hence they will not have to pay for any of the services at the government hospital,” he said adding that the government wanted to take health care to the people.
He said the South Goa District Hospital will also have a full fledged and strengthened cardiac care unit for which the necessary doctors will be posted. Besides, he disclosed that the government was seriously considering taking on lease the cath lab of the erstwhile Victor Apollo hospital that has since closed down.
“South Goa has a real problem as there is no institute that offers good cardiac care and patients have to be taken to GMC at Bambolim. That is why we are considering taking the cat lab on lease or purchasing the equipment available with them,” he said adding that this will augment the South Goa District Hospital.
He also stated that all nurses presently working on contract basis at government institutes will have their services regularized. “What is the point of working on contract for five years if your services are not going to be regularized?” he asked adding that nurses from Salcete would by and large be appointed at the new District Hospital.
“The premises where Hospicio is operating at present will be used as training institute for various purposes,” he said while adding that the new South Goa District Hospital will be named Hospicio in recognition of the rich history of the old institute.
“Changing a name of an institute does not give much and that is why the new district hospital will not be named after anybody but will retain the old name of Hospicio,” he said.
