MLA tasked with preparing road map to bring about turnaround at ESI hospital

The ESI hospital.

MARGAO

Can the government bring about a turnaround at the Margao ESI hospital for the benefit of the lakhs of employees eligible to avail medical facilities at the 150-bedded hospital?

Chairman of a government-appointed panel, MLA Dr Chandrakant Shetye is expected to undertake a journey to the ESI hospital, Margao in a bid to prepare a road map to bring the hospital back on the tracks for the benefit of the employees.

For some time now, the ESI hospital, Margao had come under the scanner of Labour Minister Atanasio Monserrate and Labour Commissioner Levinson Martins in order to revive the ESI hospital back to its past glory.

With the hospital occupancy pegged around 26 per cent and the shortage of consultants have hampered the smooth running of the medical services, the government had drafted MLA Dr Chandrakant Shetye to help tide over the situation and create a conducive environment for the return of the employees/workers back to the hospital to avail medical facilities.

Take note, the ESI hospital had proved its mettle when it was notified as the designated COVID hospital in the state, with doctors, nurses and staff rising  up to meet the unprecedented challenge thrown up the pandemic.

With a clear draft from Labour Minister Atanasio Monserrate to study the issues plaguing the ESI hospital, Dr Shetye has a task cut out how to bring the workers back to the ESI hospital to avail medical benefits and reduce the load on government hospitals including the South Goa district Hospital and the Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim.

“I have tried to understand the issues staring at the ESI hospital and to bring the hospital back on the tracks. I already had 2-3 meetings to find the problem and work out solutions”, he told The Goan.

With the ESI hospital occupancy hovering around 26 per cent, Dr Shetye said he has tried to find out the problems, whether it is due to a system failure or otherwise that had kept away workers from availing facilities at the hospital. 

“One reason for the poor response from the workers may be due to the fact that the ESI hospital is located  on the outskirts of Margao, bordering Navelim village. May be patients intending to avail the medical facilities at the hospital will have to change buses before making it to the hospital. I have suggested to put a shuttle bus service between the Margao KTC bus stand and the ESI hospital to facilitate the workers and employees easy access to the hospital after alighting at the KTC bus stand”, he added.

That’s not all.  Dr Shetye has mulled loading the hospital with consultants to instil confidence amongst the employees/workers to avail services at the hospital.  “When patients are referred to the ESI hospital from the dispensaries by the Medical officers, they need to be treated by the consultants at the hospital. If the patients are attended by medical officers at the hospital, they may not be inclined to visit the hospital in the absence of consultants”, he said, while proposing to beef up the infrastructure at the hospital.