PANAJI: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said the old Hospicio building in Margao would be renovated to accommodate a separate nursing college, freeing up the existing floors of the South Goa District Hospital exclusively for patient care.
“We have discussed this with the Health Minister. We are completely renovating and fully furnishing our old Hospicio, the old district hospital, to set up the nursing college separately, and the floors here will be used exclusively for hospital purposes,” Sawant said. He was speaking at the inauguration of MRI and echocardiography facilities at the South Goa District Hospital in the presence of Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, PWD Minister & Margao MLA Digambar Kamat and Navelim MLA Ulhas Tuenkar.
Sawant said the government was continuously upgrading healthcare facilities across the state, stressing that development should not be viewed through regional divisions. “Some may wonder about regional divisions between North Goa, South Goa or Kushavati, but the entire state belongs to all Goans, and we work consistently for everyone,” he said. The Chief Minister announced that a new Employees' State Insurance (ESI) Medical College was being taken up in South Goa. He said specialised services at the district hospital were also being expanded to improve access to treatment.
The hospital handles around 1,200 patients daily through its outpatient department and provides dialysis treatment to approximately 1,000 patients every month. Its 20-bed dialysis unit operates alongside free dialysis services available at 16 locations across Goa. “In neighbouring states, patients often have to travel more than 100 km, for instance to Bengaluru, for dialysis. In Goa, we have established accessible facilities within 25 to 30 km,” Sawant said. He said the South Goa District Hospital conducted nephrology and cardiology outpatient departments three times a week, alongside orthopaedics, gynaecology and paediatrics services. The newly inaugurated MRI and echocardiography facilities were fast-tracked under Rane's leadership, he added.
On digital healthcare, Sawant said online outpatient department services at Goa Medical College (GMC) had benefited more than one lakh patients by enabling them to book appointments with doctors, including neurosurgeons, through scheduled time slots. “Patients can now book appointments online and visit the doctor at the scheduled time,” he said. Telemedicine services are also being introduced to allow patients to share prescriptions, laboratory reports and blood pressure readings remotely, enabling doctors to advise them on medication without requiring a physical visit for every consultation. Sawant said advanced laser treatments, including procedures for varicose veins that can cost more than Rs. 1 lakh at private hospitals, were being provided free of cost at GMC and Bicholim Hospital. The operation theatre at Bicholim Hospital has also been reopened, he said.
The government allocates Rs. 70 crore annually under the Deen Dayal Swasthya Seva Yojana (DDSSY) to cover eligible medical expenses at government and private hospitals, he added. Financial assistance of up to Rs. 2 lakh is also available under the Chief Minister's Relief Fund and Medical Assistance Scheme for eligible emergency treatments not covered by DDSSY, including certain kidney transplant and cancer treatments. A dedicated helpline, 14524, provides guidance on medical claims and financial assistance. Emphasising preventive healthcare, Sawant said a free blood-screening drive at the district hospital had tested 15,000 women, with early detection leading to treatment for around 5% of those screened. Nearly one lakh patients had accessed preventive Ayurvedic care under the Health with Ayurveda initiative.
He also said eligible students from OBC, SC, ST and EWS categories could apply through a dedicated app for government fee refunds of up to Rs. 40,000 under the Chief Minister's Scholarship Scheme. Sawant said the government's long-term development agenda was guided by Viksit Bharat 2047 and Viksit Goa 2037. He added that specialised and super-speciality healthcare services in South Goa would be expanded further when the proposed standalone medical college became fully operational.
