MARGAO
When senior Hospicio Physician Dr Eddie D’Mello took his last rounds of the South Goa District Hospital on Tuesday, the last day of his career spanning 32 long years, many in the wards wondered how and who would replace the smiling face in the hospital.
Realisation dawned that the government had drafted a lady senior physician from Ponda Sub-District Hospital to fill the void left behind by Dr Eddie at the South District Hospital. However, what was feared came true ” no replacement for Dr Eddie appeared on Day One of the New Year, Wednesday, as the lady senior physician drafted for duties at the district hospital failed to make her presence felt.
As a result, there was no senior physician at the South Goa District Hospital on Wednesday, with sources saying that Hospicio Medical Superintendent and Deputy Health Officer, Dr Rajendra Borkar, drew the attention of the Health Department to the emerging situation.
When 'The Goan' contacted Dr Borkar to shed light on reports that no senior physician was available at the district hospital to fill the void left behind by Dr Eddie, he admitted that the doctor deputed to the hospital could not come since she had not been relieved from Ponda Sub-District Hospital.
Sources, however, questioned whether the makeshift arrangements put in place by the Health Director, by deputing the senior physician from Ponda to the hospital, would in any way help the patients. According to sources, the lady senior physician from Ponda Sub-District Hospital is not posted at Hospicio on a regular and permanent basis, but will be visiting Hospicio every alternate day.
“We have nothing to say about how the arrangement will work at Hospicio given the sheer number of patients and the workload at the South Goa District Hospital,” remarked a doctor in the know.
He added: “We only hope that the government will take cognisance of the ground reality and not make the makeshift arrangement permanent. What we need at Hospicio is a regular senior physician to cater to the hundreds of patients.”
Dr Eddie D’Mello, a family face over the years, had put in over 32 years of medical service before retiring on Tuesday. Sources said that Dr Eddie had politely declined to continue in service after retirement.
At his farewell programme organised by Hospicio doctors last week, District Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Borkar made a last-ditch effort by asking Dr Eddie whether he would accept an offer for an extension of service at Hospicio.
In fact, Dr Borkar had termed Dr Eddie a magician, saying he is holding the post of Hospicio Medical Superintendent only because Dr Eddie had refused to accept the post.
The farewell function was attended, among others, by a host of former Health Directors, who said that Dr Eddie should be a role model for younger doctors making their careers in the medical profession.
