The financially broke BJP government needs to take a break from its never ending State sponsored fun and frolic to now focus on some basic issues concerning Goa and Goans. One such issue is Public Health which needs the government’s immediate focused attention. The Directorate of Health Services needs some urgent resuscitation so that the current overburden on the Goa Medical College is lightened.
The Health Services needs to be headed by a proactive Director who can display some very vital vision and dynamism. The current incumbent is lackluster with nothing ever expected from him. Less said the better on how he manipulated to head the Health Services after Manohar Parrikar took over as Chief Minister in March 2012.
The acute shortage of doctors and lack of infrastructure at the Government run hospitals as well as the Urban and Rural health centers is a matter of concern. The State of the Art District hospital at Mapusa is for the last many years limping and struggling to be fully operational. We shall soon know the fate of Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar’s promise that the District Hospital at Margao will be inaugurated on Dec 1st this year.
The Health Department needs to periodically and regularly appoint doctors to all vacant posts. The Government cannot expect doctors to work on contract basis and on measly remuneration. Every medical student is required to sign a bond undertaking to work for one year in the State on completing MBBS and the internship. This rule must be strictly enforced with the only exception being those pursuing higher education in which case they should comply with the bond after completing further studies.
Currently 100 doctors graduate from Goa Medical College every year which will soon increase to 150, so there should be no dearth good medical hands at the State run health care facilities. One only wonders whether the lethargy and deliberate decaying state of the Health infrastructure is a deliberate boon for the private hospitals and practitioners.
