MARGAO
The administration of Hospicio South Goa District Hospital is grappling with a situation beyond its control — a shortage of beds despite the 500-bedded facility being fully commissioned and operating at its sanctioned capacity.
The situation prevailing in August 2026 could serve as a grim reminder and a caution to the government that the district hospital may require further expansion in terms of beds to meet future demand. It also raises questions over plans to accommodate a nursing college or medical college on the top two floors of the imposing hospital building, particularly when that space may eventually be required to add more beds and cater to the growing healthcare needs of the district.
The bed crunch has been particularly acute amid a monsoon-related surge in illnesses, including dengue, diarrhoea and fever. With the hospital operating at full capacity, patients requiring admission, particularly in the medicine and surgery wards, are being treated on stretchers and wheelchairs until a bed becomes available.
“Every day, around 10 to 20 patients, in both the male and female wards, are treated on stretchers or wheelchairs. There may be beds available in other departments, but the shortage in the medicine and surgery sections has a telling effect on the facility,” sources said.
Patients being treated on stretchers or wheelchairs are assured that they will be shifted to a bed as soon as one becomes available following the discharge of another patient.
“This is not an unusual situation at the district hospital. We have to grapple with such situations during the rains because of the surge in rain-related diseases,” a healthcare officer familiar with the situation said.
The shortage, however, has raised concerns as it persists despite the district hospital being fully commissioned and operating at its sanctioned capacity of 500 beds. Prior to its full commissioning, Hospicio Hospital was functioning with 350 beds. In August 2025, the government directed the hospital administration to add 150 beds to meet the growing demand for patient care.
Another doctor said the hospital administration normally does not turn patients away solely because of a lack of beds. “Where would the patients go if we shut the hospital doors for want of beds? They cannot afford healthcare in private hospitals. Hence, we try to accommodate everyone who visits the hospital, either on beds, stretchers or wheelchairs,” the doctor said.
The recurring bed shortage has also brought renewed focus on the future utilisation of the hospital building. With patient footfall and admissions placing existing facilities under pressure, questions are being raised over whether space earmarked on the top two floors for a nursing college or medical college should instead be retained for hospital expansion.
The present monsoon surge may be seasonal, but the pressure on the medicine and surgery wards highlights the need for policymakers to assess whether the hospital's existing capacity will be adequate to meet South Goa's healthcare requirements in the years ahead.
Hospital services strained as promised manpower remains largely undelivered
MARGAO: Hospicio South Goa District Hospital’s medical and paramedical staff have been rising to the occasion to ensure healthcare services continue smoothly despite a shortage of manpower, with the hospital still awaiting adequate numbers of doctors, nurses and Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) a year after its full commissioning.
When the Director of Health Services (DHS) directed the Hospicio hospital administration to go for the full commissioning of the 500-bedded facility in August 2025, the administration was reportedly assured that the corresponding number of doctors, nurses and MTS would be deputed to meet the manpower requirements.
However, a year later, while the government is believed to have deputed around 50 nurses to the hospital, the shortage of doctors and MTS continues to persist.
Hospital sources said the facility is in dire need of additional nurses and MTS to cope with the growing workload and increasing number of patients. Although the deployment of 50 nurses has provided some relief, the hospital continues to require more nursing staff to meet its day-to-day requirements.
The shortage of MTS is particularly acute, with sources stating that the hospital is short of nearly 100 personnel. The manpower crunch is reportedly affecting the overall functioning of the hospital and placing additional pressure on the existing staff.
“We somehow manage the situation in the absence of additional doctors. But nurses and MTS are the backbone of any hospital. The government should depute additional nurses and MTS to the district hospital on priority and provide relief to a hospital that is already overwhelmed by the rush of patients,” sources said.
With the 500-bed facility now fully operational, hospital staff have urged the government to address the manpower shortage on an urgent basis to ensure that the hospital can function efficiently and provide timely healthcare services to patients.
