the goan I network
MAPUSA
The efforts of senior citizen, Antonio Fernandes of Carona, Aldona, to get a mediclaim facility has suffered a fresh blow with the Medical Superintendent (MS) of Goa Medical College and Hospital, Dr S M Bandekar, refusing to countersign his application.
Passing the buck, the medical superintendent said that he was not aware of the facts of the case as he was not officiating as MS for that period.
“It would be unjust and unethical to countersign the application of 2016 on present date,” he said in a letter to the Director of Health Services.
He, however, said that the head of the institution, in this case the Dean of GMC, may be requested to find a logical solution to the matter, as he has been in service from 2014 and was well versed with the facts of the case.
He also stated that the patient has not followed government procedure in obtaining the mediclaim facility while submitting the application to the Directorate of Health Services without obtaining counter signature of the then MS, Dr Sunanda Amonkar.
It may be recalled after running from pillar to post for almost two years to get his mediclaim approved, the senior citizen approached the consumer conciliation committee in October 2017.
There were some hopes for the senior citizen when last month on the instruction of the chairman of consumer conciliation committee, the Director of Health Services, Dr Sanjeev Dalvi, had directed the MS to countersign the medical certificate issued by the DHS to Fernandes so that he can avail the mediclaim.
When contacted the Dean of GMC, Dr Pradeep Naik, said that he was not aware of any such letter but if it comes before him, he will examine it.
“I have not received any such letter from the medical superintendent. But if that is the case I will verify the patient’s records and accordingly I will take an appropriate decision,” Dr Naik said.
Last month, The Goan had reported how the senior citizen, Antonio Fernandes, who underwent knee replacement in GMC has been unsuccessfully knocking the doors of government departments for nearly two years to get a reimbursement for his mediclaim. Fernandes has also approached Health Minister Vishwajit Rane and met local MLA Glenn Ticlo in the matter but failed to get a favourable answer.
