Right model will be selected to provide facilities at SGDH: Rane

Health Minister faces flak from Opposition MLAs over lack of services

Panaji: Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Wednesday said that a right model will be selected to provide integrated facilities at South Goa District Hospital (SDGH), Margao through public-private partnership in the next 3-4 months as suggested by the NITI Aayog.

The opposition cornered the government over its failure to implement various facilities at the South Goa District hospital. Raising the issue on Wednesday, Aldona MLA Carlos Ferreira termed the hospital as a referral hospital.

Ferreira said that the government ordered three cath labs for the super specialty, however till date patients have been facing problems due to unavailability of medical facilities.

Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai said that “South Goa District Hospital has gone into a comma and may die at any time.”

“South Goa District Hospital is in a comma; there is no 24×7 pharmacy, no cardiology unit, and many posts are vacant,” he said in the house.

Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao said that the “government has given one year of corruption, one year of unemployment, one year of Mhadei’s unresolved issue, and one year of the South Goa District Hospital without facilities.”

AAP MLA Venzy Viegas said that he inspected the SGDH before the assembly session.

“The lifts are not functioning, the ICU is locked, no MRI facilities, no full day canteen, no generic pharmacy, no neurology department, no paediatric ICU. The SGDH has turned into a referral hospital,” he added.

Responding to concerns raised by the members, the Health Minister said that a right model will be selected to provide integrated facilities at the SGDH in the next 3-4 months.

He further assured the house to set up a committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister to finalise the model for working of South Goa District Hospital and put things in place.

Rane said that the government is taking one step at a time to put up the best medical facilities at the South Goa District Hospital.

As per NITI Aayog recommendation, the SGDH is eligible to be run under the PPP model.