2nd October 2021 brought a mixed bag for Ribandar, the completion of the pending restoration of our Church hall and the sham of an inaugural of the long awaited Ribandar Health Centre.
The first was indeed a happy occasion, all the more because the work of restoration was well executed by the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC). We need to applaud the GSIDC for such a perfectionist work of our Church hall when many other works executed by them, including the Atal Setu, have left much to be desired.
On the other hand, the so-called Health Centre now “inaugurated” is clearly an attempt to take people for a ride. It is a sham! To the dismay of one and all, the new facilities have not been set up in the main building of the historic Old Ribandar Hospital. Instead the authorities chose to inappropriately squeeze this Health centre amidst an already cramped Crime Branch premises.
On 8th October last year MLA Babush Monserrate had assured that the medical facilities at the Old Ribandar Hospital would commence as a 30 bedded unit and be expanded into a full fledged hospital. After patiently waiting for a year, sadly this has not happened.
As this government is in its last few dying months, we will have to now wait for the next regime and the new MLA to pursue this issue, which will definitely figure during the ensuing Assembly election campaign.
The cosmetic 24X7 emergency centre that has been set up required the much needed facilities of X-ray and ultra sound while adding a CT scan and MRI facility eventually.
It is commendable that the people of Ribandar and the neighbouring villages have displayed their firm resolve but patience on the demand for restoration of medical facilities at the Old Ribandar Hospital, which is one issue that has unified Ribandar like never before.
We have not sought any charity from the government as everyone is entitled to the same level and quality of medical care that Ministers and MLAs get.
We must ensure that the Old Ribandar Hospital returns as a centre of excellence in dispensing the much need medical facilities and saving of lives especially of the poorest of the poor.
