PANAJI
Cancer patients in the State got a shot in the arm when Chief Minister
Pramod Sawant announced a scheme to strengthen tertiary cancer care facilities making an allocation of Rs 150 crore to ensure that cancer patients can receive world-class treatment and medical care in Goa.
The government has declared its intentions to amend the existing mediclaim scheme to include cancer patients under its gambit so that credit facilities can be provided to them to avail treatment without any hindrance due to lack of finances.
The income limit criteria for eligibility under this scheme has been extended to Rs five lakhs. The coverage of major organ transplants will also be explored, for which a provision of Rs three crore has been made in this year.
Lastly, financial support of Rs 10 lakh will be provided for this year to palliative care centres.
The State government made a budgetary provision of Rs 1,719.89 crore towards the health sector, an increase of 19.60 per cent as against the last year’s budget.
Sawant also said the 500-bedded South Goa District Hospital in Margao will be inaugurated in April 2021.
The premises will boast a full-fledged cardiac facility. The government has also proposed to set up a medical college in South Goa district in line with NITI Aayog’s policy of one medical college per district.
Sawant further announced the setting up health centres at Tuem, Cacora and Cansaulim while declaring that the AYUSH Hospital at Pernem will be completed by December 2021.
Pursuing his government’s aim to promote medical tourism in Goa, Sawant announced that he has requested the Central government to set up AIIMS in Goa, which coupled with the proposed and existing medical infrastructure will attract medical tourists.
The budget also promises to slowly eliminate the variations in the salary of doctors in the Directorate of Health Services.
Under the health sector, with the aid of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, the government seeks to create an ecosystem for ‘food safety mitras’, who will help food business operators with licensing, registration, training and auditing hygiene, which will also provide the Goan youth with self-employment opportunities.
MEDICAL INFRA: Rs 50 crore provision for setting up of medical facilities and services at GMC super-specialty block. Rs 10 crore allocation also been made for construction of premises for Goa Dental College.
MENTAL HEALTH: Rs 53.83 crore declared for construction of 100-bedded new premises for day-care centre project of the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour. Provision of Rs 1.93 cr made towards two new courses -- M.Phil in Psychiatric social work and Diploma in psychiatric nursing.
MENSTRUAL HEALTH: Rs 5 cr provision has been made under the ‘My Pad, My Right’ initiative which seeks to provide tribal women with sanitary napkins and also to train them to make sanitary napkins.
RURAL INITIATIVES: Mobile dental bus for provision of dental treatments and check-ups in rural areas. Under the “Vision for all” all Goans to get free eye check. Rs five crore allocated for setting up full-fledged eye check-up centre at the health centre in Sakhali. Govt to launch ‘Health for All’ initiative in September for comprehensive health checkups to all Goans.
