MARGAO Goa Forward party leaders and workers stormed into the South Goa district hospital on Tuesday, with party chief, MLA Vijai Sardesai setting a 15-day deadline on the government to commission the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) facility or brace up to face action.
Saying the opposition parties will all unite and come together if the ICU is not commissioned within the deadline, Sardesai said the ruling party will have to face the brunt of the people of South Goa if the common man does not get the amenities before Diwali.
Vijay Sardesai visits south Goa district hospital
Sardesai along with party leaders and party councillors marched to the South Goa district hospital from the party headquarters at the Goemkar Ghor on Tuesday morning in view of reports that the state-of-the-art hospital has become a referral hospital for want of trained manpower and experts.
The party leaders descended into the modern ICU unit, only to find the unit equipped with ventilators and other items, but is on sleep mode for want of experts, including cardiologists, medical officers, trained nurses, and MTS. Sardesai had a brief discussion with hospital's senior doctor, Dr. Eddie D’Mello to find out the ground reality.
“We are giving the government 15 days to come out with a clear cut plan in commissioning the ICU and trauma facility. If not, we will all come together on the hospital issue. The people of South Goa will teach the government a lesson. Next time round, all the opposition parties including the Congress will come together and coordinate to give justice to the people of South Goa,” he said.
He added: “What we have observed during our visit is that infrastructure is in place in the district hospital, but it is not in working condition for want of manpower. Make everything operational within 15 days. I will write to the Chief Secretary since he is the government’s administrative head.”
Saying that he has no idea whether Health Minister Vishwajit Rane will take note of the situation at the district hospital, Sardesai said Rane is more busy with the work of coming out with a new TCP Act. “Rane says the TCP Act needs to be replaced since it was enacted during the tenure of his father Pratapsing Rane. I would like to tell him that the Goa Medical College and Hospital built by Pratapsing Rane is still strong, but not the recent health infrastructure,” he said.
Possible scam inside the hospital?
Suspecting a scam in the making, the Goa Forward chief said the hospital is being deliberately kept understaffed to create a situation wherein the hospital is finally handed over to private players. “We are not going to leave the government scot-free in the district hospital. We will knock on the doors of the Judiciary with a Public Interest Litigation if the ICU facility is not commissioned immediately,” he said, adding there’s a serious allegation that a person from the field of culture had died in the hospital because of negligence.
Goa Forward leader Dr Babita Prabhudesai said it is criminal to force patients to opt for private hospitals by not commissioning the facilities at the district hospital. “You cannot overburden the doctors when the system in the hospital is already overburdened,” she said.
