MARGAO
Saying that a controversy has been raked up over the question of setting up a private medical college in the South Goa district hospital building, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Saturday asserted that the college is not a priority for him in times of Covid, asserting that he has no ego on the issue if the people are saying no to it.
“If the people don’t want the private medical college, just forget it. I have no ego on the issue. The government will go ahead with the nursing institute as per the earlier decision,” he said.
The Health Minister, however, said that Goa is entitled to medical seats and the local youth will benefit if the private college is set up in the district hospital, reminding that parents have been demanding an increase in seats in the Goa Medical College. “I am not looking at the private medical college issue at the moment. Let Covid end and after that we will take a decision”, he said.
But, when his attention was drawn to the public sentiments, strongly objecting to the setting up of the private medical college in the South district hospital, Rane shot back, “If they don’t want, I have no ego, If people don’t want, just forget it. We can continue to utilize the top two floors for a nursing institute as per the earlier decision.”
Saying that the government is only concentrating now on handling Covid and not the private medical college, he said it is on the job to utilize the district hospital as a Covid hospital and will simultaneously augment the services to ensure it ultimately operates as a district hospital.
To a question whether GMC can run a college at the South district hospital, Rane said as per the Government of India guidelines, a medical college can be attached to a district hospital. “I have nothing personal in this medical college issue. I can start a nursing institute and teaching facility as per the earlier decision. This district hospital is under the DHS, only academics can be attached to the hospital,” he added.
To a question, why the top two floors of the South Goa district hospital cannot be utilized as a Covid care centre, Rane said these were designated as a nursing institute before he became the Health Minister. “These two floors are designed to conduct nursing classes. These floors have no oxygen and other facilities. Hence, the top floors cannot be used for Covid,” he added.
