NGO members threaten hunger strike over Hospicio hospital
Say things are going from bad to worse by the day
THE GOAN NETWORK
MARGAO
Members of a city-based NGO - Save Golden Goa (SGG), have threatened to go on a hunger strike if the government does not spruce up the facilities at the government-run Hospicio hospital catering to South Goa.
The NGO further demanded that the government beef up the amenities at the TB hospital atop Monte Hill, saying that TB patients are being taken to the Hospicio hospital for X-rays when the hospital has a facility in place there itself.
Addressing the media, SGG president Anjum M Ansari and general secretary Camilo Barretto lamented that things at the Hospicio hospital are turning from bad to worse with each passing day. While pointing accusing fingers at the government over the deteriorating situation at the hospital, they blamed the government for the long delay in the commissioning of the district hospital for South Goa.
Saying that patients are being told to procure medicines from the pharmacies outside, Barretto demanded free medicines for the patients, who are mostly hailing from the economically weaker sections of society. “Members of our NGO had visited the Hospicio hospital last year and taken note of the shortcomings. Accordingly, we had taken up the issue with the Health officials, but the ground reality remains unchanged," Camilo said, while saying that the NGO will have not option other than to on a hunger strike outside the hospital to draw attention to the government’s apathy and indifference to this South Goa hospital.
“We have noticed that people are being called to collect the blood test reports after a few days. Is this the right way things are administered in the hospital. What is the use of the reports to patients when they need immediate medical attention,” Anjum wondered, while demanding that the government streamline the functioning of the hospital.
The NGO has also questioned the government’s failure to introduce bio-metric finger scanners for the hospital staff, saying the Director of Health Services has not taken any positive steps in this direction till date.
