THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) State president, Valmiki Naik, has written to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant seeking an urgent meeting to press for Rs 10 lakh health insurance coverage for every Goan family, without conditions.
Naik said the proposal was not about politics but about ensuring equal access to quality healthcare and offered to share experience of implementing the model successfully in Punjab, where families enjoy comprehensive coverage across 2,350 medical procedures.
By contrast, Goa’s Deen Dayal Swasthya Seva Yojana (DDSSY) covers only 447 procedures and Naik argued that the limited scope forces patients into private hospitals, where they must bear heavy costs.
He also alleged that many private hospitals hesitate to accept DDSSY cards due to delayed reimbursements and outdated treatment rates.
Naik pointed out that active DDSSY cards have dropped from 2.95 lakh to 1.81 lakh, showing declining faith in the scheme.
"Nearly 90 percent of Goans depend on government healthcare, yet hospitals suffer from poor infrastructure, shortages of specialist doctors, and lack of essential facilities," he said.
Citing CAG reports, he highlighted staff shortages and criticised the government for focusing on publicity campaigns instead of addressing ground realities such as delayed ambulances and repeated patient referrals.
Despite Goa’s annual budget exceeding Rs 30,000 crore, Naik said only Rs 100 crore is allocated to healthcare schemes, calling it grossly inadequate.
Naik also urged Sawant to act decisively, expand insurance coverage to Rs 10 lakh, widen the list of procedures, and ensure timely hospital payments.
AAP MLAs Capt Venzy Viegas and Cruz Silva have already supported healthcare initiatives from their own salaries and resources, including free cataract surgeries and health camps.
