PANAJI
The Medical Cell of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) Goa State has submitted a recommendation to the Chief Minister of Goa Dr Pramod Sawant for policy decisions pertaining to healthcare establishments in the State. Associated with healthcare professionals the cell works to upgrade healthcare policies for betterment of all stakeholders, claims Dr Shekhar Salkar, convenor of the Medical cell of BJP Goa State.
The cell has suggested a focus on health tourism. Goa is known for tourism, however an impetus to develop a sustainable PPP model to promote medical tourism is the need of an hour. Goa with its strong member associations like Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Association of Private Nursing Homes (APNH) is willing to undertake any responsibility to promote medical tourism. The cell has requested the government to direct the concerned departments to create a roadmap.
Incentivising DDSSY empanelled hospitals, updating DDSSY funds, timely payment of DDSSY remuneration, single tier structure for licences, reduction of fees imposed for disposal of biomedical waste, empanelment of Ayurvedic hospitals and centres under DDSSY, nursing and paramedical college, uninterrupted and enhanced water supply, 108 ambulance service, non-polluting industry status for hospitals are some of the suggestions put forth by the cell.
Beginning with the Deen Dayal Samajik Suraksha Yojana (DDSSY) there is a suggestion to incentivise DDSSY empanelled hospitals. Also to update the DDSSY funds as the DDSSY package price constituted seven years ago needs to be updated in sync with current inflation, and the disbursal of funds should be monthly. The payment of DDSSY remuneration should be timely, streamlined and put on fast track through single window standardized protocol.
Claiming that the fees levied upon healthcare establishments for various licensing issued under State Pollution Control Board needs to be rationalised the cell suggests that single tier fee structure needs to be adopted as hospitals are largely non-polluting units and cannot be compared to conventional industrial units. Also, the categorisation of healthcare facilities needs to be revamped and the fees should be reduced.
The cell also suggested that the empanelment of Ayurvedic hospitals and centres under DDSSY should be thought of. Also the State is facing acute shortage of nursing and paramedical staff, as the number of healthcare facilities have increased. The cell also demanded uninterrupted, enhanced water supply and to extend the 108 ambulatory service across all private hospitals within the State for timely patient transfer.
The cell has requested to facilitate a dialogue with concerned stakeholders and healthcare facilities to accommodate genuine demand of granting non-polluting industry status to healthcare establishments.
