PANAJI
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced a collective allocation of Rs 2,217 crore for the health ministry including DHS (Rs 963 crore), Goa Medical College and Hospital (Rs 1,063 crore), IPHB (Rs 82 crore), Goa Dental College (Rs 80 crore) and Food and Drugs Administration (Rs 29 crore).
Among the new initiatives that Sawant announced in the sector was free vaccines for an estimated 50,000 senior citizens and creation of a new AYUSH department.
Sawant also said that of the Rs 1,063 crore allocated for GMC&H, Rs 143 crore will be spent on ongoing construction work at the premier tertiary healthcare institution.
The Chief Minister also announced a proposal to increase the student intake from the current 200 to 250 and added that approval for the same is expected in the current year from the National Medical Commission.
Sawant also said that the construction work on an additional 100-bedded hospital is expected to be completed by December this year at the IPHB even as a Rs 45 crore day-care centre there is expected to be commissioned in April.
He emphasized that the investments aim to strengthen public healthcare access, modernize infrastructure and improve preventive care services statewide sustainably.
