Asks govt to make facility operational within 90 days
PANAJI
The Goa Human Rights Commission (GHRC) has asked the State government to fast-track the setting up and operation of a 24/7 emergency care centre on Chorao island.
In an order passed on Friday, the Commission said urgent action was needed after reviewing a complaint filed by Chorao resident Yuvraj Mandrekar and the reply from the authorities. It noted that the island lacks emergency medical services, especially during night hours.
The GHRC directed the government to make the emergency care centre functional within 90 days. It also asked for a report on the action taken or planned to be taken by May 6. The Commission is headed by acting chairperson Desmond D’Costa and member Pramod Kamat.
Mandrekar had pointed out that there is no resident doctor at the local government health centre at night. He said this puts residents at serious risk during medical emergencies after evening hours. He also highlighted Chorao’s isolation, saying that reaching advanced medical facilities on the mainland requires a ferry crossing. In critical cases, he said, there have been past instances of patients dying while being transported by ferry.
While residents can travel to Bicholim taluka without using a ferry, Mandrekar said this is often not useful in serious cases, which are usually referred to Goa Medical College. As a result, residents facing emergencies at night have little option but to cross the river by ferry.
He urged the GHRC to ensure the posting of a night-shift doctor at the island’s health centre, saying this would improve access to timely medical care and could save lives on Chorao island.
