Will the government equip the new South Goa district hospital only with a 24-capacity mortuary when a similar unit had all along failed to serve the purpose of the district over the years?
MARGAO
This question has come to the fore with the government veering round the view that the government departments, including the police and other authorities will be told to speed up disposal of the bodies instead of creating huge mortuary space to preserve the dead.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the Aqua Goa fish festival at Navelim on Thursday, Health Minister Francis D’Souza informed that the new district hospital upon its construction will be equipped with only 24-unit capacity morgue. When the ground reality suggests that the new district hospital be equipped with mortuary to take care of around 50 bodies at a time, D’Souza said he will ask the district police and the medical superintendent of the new hospital to ensure speedy disposal of
the bodies.
“I find no merit in the argument that the new hospital should be equipped with huge space for the mortuary. Huge space will only set in lethargy on the part of the authorities handling disposal of dead bodies after post mortem examination,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Health minister said the doctor and ambulance situation at Hospicio hospital will improve soon with the government recruiting 37 doctors directly and taking another 18 on bond. He said the government is also recruiting 84 nurses, and will soon fill up the vacancies of servants.
As far as ambulances are concerned, the Health minister said that Directorate of Health Services has around 32 ambulances, with the government making available
more ambulances after the Exposition.
“The two district collectors are presently processing a proposal wherein 10 ambulances each will be given to the DHS under the Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) scheme,” he added.
