MARGAO
South Goa District Hospital has come under public scrutiny after relatives of patients raised concerns about poor facilities and delays in medical care by doctors and nursing staff.
In one case, Saira Khan alleged that her mother did not receive timely treatment before she died at the hospital. According to Khan, her mother’s condition worsened rapidly while she was admitted to a ward.
Khan said that when her mother began gasping for breath and sweating heavily, she approached the nurse on duty and asked her to call a doctor and check the patient’s blood pressure. “The nurse told me that only one doctor was on duty and that he would attend shortly. When I requested immediate help, the nurse scolded me without any reason,” Khan alleged.
She claimed that the doctor arrived later, but by then it was too late. “My mother had already passed away,” she said.
Khan demanded that the hospital ensure enough doctors are available at all times, including senior consultants, to avoid such incidents. She said her mother was admitted last Friday and the hospital was planning to discharge her on the same day she died, even though she had not fully recovered. “Can a hospital stop treatment just because discharge papers are prepared?” she asked.
Responding to the allegations, South Goa District Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Rajendra Borkar said the hospital provides medical services round the clock. “Medical officers are on duty 24x7, and there is no shortage of medical officers,” he said.
Dr Borkar added that consultants’ regular duty hours end at 4.30 pm, but they remain available on call. “Consultants give medical advice to medical officers whenever required,” he said.
