The recent accident at Colmorod-Navelim, where the life of an innocent pedestrian was lost due to rash driving and a delay in providing timely medical aid, exposes the inefficiency of the health department. The patient had to be transferred to GMC as his condition was serious; however, he was kept waiting for an ambulance as there was none available at the South Goa District Hospital. It is learnt that the ambulance was finally requisitioned from Shiroda, which is at a distance from South Goa District Hospital, thereby resulting in the loss of precious time in the treatment of the patient.
The claims of providing the best healthcare to its citizens fall flat if swift ambulance services cannot be provided. There needs to be a system in place where sufficient ambulances are kept on standby at each major government hospital, apart from the ambulances that are assigned their regular routes. A significant boost in healthcare infrastructure is the need of the hour, strengthening the SGDH to be equipped with a trauma unit. May better sense prevail and the respective government departments act swiftly to work in the best interests of their citizens.
