PANAJI: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said the government is fast-tracking a plan to directly connect the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC) campus with the Super Speciality Block through an overbridge, with a consultant already appointed for the project.
Speaking at the inauguration of three new lecture halls at GMC, Sawant said the proposed connectivity would bring the main GMC campus and the Super Speciality Block together as one integrated campus and improve access for patients. “We will develop the entire campus as one single campus. It will be one of the most beautiful campuses, making it easier for patients to access the Super Speciality Block directly with connectivity,” Sawant said.
The three new lecture halls, constructed by the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) for Rs 40 crore, were inaugurated by Sawant in the presence of Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, GSIDC Chairman Michael Lobo and senior officials.
Sawant said the new facilities were among the best infrastructure available in the medical sector and would strengthen academic facilities for GMC students and faculty. “Even in the private medical sector, having such a great, eco-friendly and well-equipped hall is very rare, but today that medical hall is in our Government Medical College,” Sawant said.
Following the lecture hall project, Sawant outlined the government’s wider plans to upgrade GMC infrastructure, with projects of around Rs 500 crore planned or underway. He said Rs 200 crore is being spent on the college block, Rs 106 crore on the GARD hostel, Rs 90 crore on the boys’ hostel and Rs 100 crore on the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour (IPHB).
The Chief Minister also said the government was working to transform the entire GMC campus into a “five-star campus”, with road resurfacing, beautification, underground cabling, lighting, garden maintenance and parking facilities. The works are targeted for completion by March.
Calling GMC the State’s apex medical institution, Sawant said the college had built significant public trust among Goans as well as people from neighbouring areas of Maharashtra and Karnataka.
“Even if there is a major accident in Sindhudurg, people ask, ‘Did we reach GMC?’ If they reach, there is a trust created in people’s minds that they will be safe,” he said. Sawant said maintaining this trust would require continued investment in infrastructure as well as better delivery of healthcare services.
He called on GMC’s heads of departments to regularly identify requirements for equipment and facilities and submit proposals to the government. “What is exactly needed might not be known to the Health Minister or to me, but you know it perfectly. Even minor things, like something costing Rs 10 lakh, might save someone’s life, but unless you highlight it and produce the files, we cannot provide it,” Sawant said.
He stressed that healthcare funding would not be compromised. “If needed, a road project can be delayed, but when it comes to health, we will never cut down on funds or step back,” he said.
Sawant also called for the introduction of an online OPD system at GMC. While the online appointment system has already been introduced, he said online consultations and report access could help reduce the number of patients physically visiting the hospital. “Online appointments are done, but if online OPD is also done, it will make a big difference. People can check reports and come only for prescriptions or check-ups,” he said.
The CM said the government was simultaneously strengthening district and sub-district hospitals, including the South Goa District Hospital and sub-district hospitals at Chicalim and Ponda, with doctors and equipment.
“The intention is to reduce the unnecessary load on Goa Medical College so that many basic treatments can be handled there, and GMC can focus primarily on emergency patients,” Sawant said.
