MAPUSA
Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza on Thursday admitted that all was not well within the health department and that, he was trying to find a way out to resolve various issues.
“Over a period of time, there has been a neglect in the health sector in the State. I am trying to find a solution to the problem,” said D’Souza, who is also the health minister.
The deputy chief minister was speaking on the sidelines after inaugurating the District Early Intervention Centre for disabled children at the North Goa District Hospital (Asilo).
He was replying to a query on the absence of the service of full-time medical superintendents in the two district hospitals “ Asilo and Hospicio.
He said many senior officials in the department were working on ad-hoc basis and it was a cause of concern.
“The director and the deputy director of the health and several other officials are all functioning on ad-hoc basis,” he lamented, appearing helpless in the matter.
It may be recalled that the deputy chief minister had inherited the health portfolio from Laxmikant Parsekar, who was the health minister, before he took over as chief minister of Goa.
Speaking further, the deputy chief minister said he expected the problem of shortage of doctors to reduce once fresh batch of doctors join the service.
“The Goa Public Service Commission (GPSC) has selected 34 doctors and another 22 doctors have been selected on bond basis. Besides, we have recruited 22 doctors in Ayurveda and 15 in homeopathic,” he disclosed.
According to D'Souza, the shortage of doctors can never be completely solved, as at given point of time a doctor gets promoted and once promoted, it takes time to replace him.
The government also faces a huge problem to get doctors and nurses in the ST and the OBC category.
“We cannot get doctors and nurses in the ST and OBC category and we can’t replace them with doctors of general category,” the deputy CM said.
“We had no other way but to re-advertise for doctors in the ST and OBC category,” he added.
