the goan I network
MARGAO
Is there a solution to the acute bed shortage plaguing the Hospicio hospital, more so with the commissioning of the South Goa district hospital delayed yet again?
In a development that may help ease pressure on Hospicio which is facing bed shortage, the 100-bedded ESI hospital at Margao is ready to come to the rescue of the government hospital, by not letting out its two floors to the Directorate of Health services and also its mortuary facility, but with a rider.
The ESI hospital authorities have made it clear that while the Health Services may utilize the hospital’s two floors “ which plays host to around 50 beds -- to accommodate Hospicio patients, the DHS will have to make the necessary manpower arrangements to attend to the patients.
Similarly, ESI has agreed to hand over its brand new eight-cabinet mortuary unit set up at the hospital to Hospicio, provided the hospital deputes staff to man the morgue.
Sources in the know said the final discussions on letting out the ESI’s two floors with beds to Hospicio, besides the mortuary unit, will take place later this week between officials of ESI and labour department and officials of the Health services.
A senior ESI official said the hospital is willing to enter into the agreement with the Directorate of Health Services to let its two floors having 50 beds to the DHS, provided Hospicio provides the required manpower, including paramedics to take care of the patients availing treatment.
“We understand the space constraints faced by Hospicio hospital for want of beds. At the same time, ESI is faced with manpower issues. Officials of the ESI ad DHS will discuss how to go about the matter in the interest of the public”, the official added.
The 100-bedded ESI hospital was built during the tenure of the UPA government when Oscar Fernandes was the Union Labour Minister. Though the hospital was officially inaugurated in 2014 even before the building was completed in all respects, the multi-storied building has been lying underutilized due to a host of factors, including shortage of doctors and para-medics.
The proposal to avail the underutilized ESI hospital to house Hospicio patients was made by Hospicio Medical Superintendent Dr Ira Almeida as well as Health Director Dr Jose D’Sa around two months ago following the outbreak of dengue after Hospicio failed to take care of the increased patients in the hospital for want of beds. Though bed shortage is a perennial issue facing Hospicio over the years, the hospital faced acute shortage of beds following the dengue outbreak, leaving the Hospicio management with no option than to accommodate the growing number of patients on the floor.
Hospicio officials pointed out that the government should seriously explore the ESI hospital option given that the district hospital is still not complete and date of commissioning remains unknown.
“Going by the failed deadlines and the time required to complete the district hospital building in all respects and the fact that Hospicio is facing an acute bed shortage, the government should seriously consider ESI’s willingness to accommodate Hospicio patients by making the necessary manpower arrangements,” remarked a Hospicio doctor.
