PANAJI
Almost five months after the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced establishing a private medical college following NITI Aayog modal, the Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Wednesday announced that the State government, for now has dropped the proposal to set up the college at South Goa District Hospital (SGDH), but the same would be re-considered as per CVC guidelines.
Speaking to media persons, Rane said that the government will re-tender the project as per CVC guidelines and take people into confidence, in the coming days.
“For now, no private medical college will come up. Without following the codal formalities, no medical college would be set up in the State,” Rane said.
He said that leaders in New Delhi have directed him not to violate the CVC guidelines and every medical college should be within its framework.
“Anything in violation of CVC guidelines will invite inquiry against me and I don’t want to get into any inquiry. Hence, we have decided not to have any private medical college for now...we will re-tender it as per CVC guidelines and take people into confidence,” he said.
Earlier this year in March, CM Pramod Sawant had said that the private medical college would be set up in Margao under a trust and would be made operational by June 2025. He had said that the college would be established on 10,000 sq m of land under the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) following a model finalised by NITI Aayog.
The recently held Monsoon session of the State Legislative Assembly had witnessed uproar over a private medical college proposal with opposition demanding scrapping of the project.
Meanwhile, the Minister, after holding a meeting with officials of Goa Medical College and Hospital and Health Department, announced that in the coming two months, the department would launch an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-empowered application that could help and assist people with health issues. He said Goa would be the first State to introduce such a facility.
He also mentioned that the government is considering establishing an Assisted Living facility within the GMC premises to accommodate elderly people.
He further said that the department is in process of setting up an ICU at North Goa District Hospital while upgrading facilities at Ponda Sub-District Hospital.
