Pernem locals demand full facilities at Tuem hospital

Tuem Hospital Action Committee convenor Jose Lobo and others while addressing a news conference in Pernem.

PERNEM
The State government may have issued a notification officially linking the 100-bed Tuem Hospital to the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC), but residents in Pernem have demanded that the Tuem hospital be linked to the GMC only after all medical facilities and OPDs are fully functional.
They have sought a written reply from the government by January 27 and have warned of an indefinite hunger strike from January 28 if their demands are not met.
Addressing a news conference in Pernem, the Tuem Hospital Action Committee (THAC) demanded that the inauguration of the Tuem hospital should not be hastily conducted on January 30 unless all facilities provided in the hospital are available.
THAC convenor Jose Lobo stated that all facilities must be provided at the Tuem hospital and jobs created in the hospital should be reserved for locals from Pernem.
“We object to the announcement that the new hospital building will be inaugurated by starting three OPDs on January 30. The committee never demanded that the hospital be started in a half-finished state,” said Lobo. “Tenders were floated for equipment required for the hospital in December 2025, and it will take 2-3 months to complete the work. In such a situation, the government is trying to pacify the people by starting an OPD on the ground floor of the old Tuem hospital building.”
The THAC also sought further clarity on the status of the Tuem hospital.
“While the government has announced that the Tuem hospital will be linked to the GMC hospital, the notification states that the hospital will remain in the possession of both the GMC hospital and the health department. We need clarity in this matter.”
Others present at the news conference included Adv Prasad Shahapurkar, Bhaskar Narulkar, Tulshidas Raut, Devendra Prabhu Desai, Advocate Jitendra Gaonkar and Nilesh Kandolkar.