MARGAO
Whether Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and his Health Minister will utilise the top two floors of the South Goa district hospital or not is a matter of intense debate.
District hospital officials, however, have another plan to increase the bed capacity of the hospital by another 50-60 beds in the existing floors to meet the growing requirements for beds.
Sources in the know informed that South Goa district hospital nodal officer Dr Rajesh Patil had discussed the proposal with the Health Secretary, and has sought additional manpower, including doctors, nurses and para-medics to cater to the manpower requirements for the additional beds.
Sources said a proposal has been sent to the government to send a combination of doctors, including MBBS, Ayush and other doctors to the district hospital to tide over the shortage of doctors.
Similarly, a proposal has been mooted to rope in nursing students, so that they can be put under the existing nurses and lend a helping hand to the existing nursing staff.
The Goan understands that around 520 patients were admitted in the South Goa district hospital on Tuesday, which is much beyond the existing capacity.
It is learnt that the district hospital administration has drawn up a plan to put additional 50-60 beds on the second floor of the building, to cater to the growing requirements.
“Once the government makes available the required manpower, including doctors and nurses, the intake of patients may touch the 560-570 mark since the hospital has already received the additional beds,” sources said.
