The Goan: Can youhighlight an important struggle of yours which is still continuing?
Dr Da Costa: Theprotection of medical services is a concern. People working in the healthcaresector are in the line of fire. Fortunately The Government has now passed ThePrevention of Violence against Medicare Service Persons and Facilities Bill toprotect both the institutions and the staff. It states that an attack againstthem is a cognizable offense, the offender liable to pay double the value ofthe damages, apart from a fine of Rs. 50,000, or 3 years imprisonment. I havepersonally been involved in at least four attempts at trying to get such alegislation passed in Goa, but it has never been accepted, as sadly suchproposals do not win votes or further ones political career, and it is merelyin the interest of Goan society which rates very low down in the agenda ofpoliticians or would-be politicians priorities.
The Goan: What, in your opinion is the issue that is ofutmost critical importance at the moment?
Dr Da Costa: One should take a very good look at the ClinicalEstablishments Bill which provides guidelines for the creation of medicalfacilities. In 1997, I had highlighted the dismal lack of legislation in themedical profession, and suggested making a couple of much needed changes, towhich a political bigwig present retorted, ‘The more rules you have, the morepeople will break them’. I, for one, personally have been working towards theimplementation of a proper system and though there is no concrete legislationin place yet, I’m working to make sure that things change for the better.
The Goan: Though the prescription conundrum may be somethingthat needs investigation, are there also issues that may affect the common manas well as the country on the whole?
Dr Da Costa: The spurious drug industry is a pressingconcern. Our lax rules are being exploited by people while prescribing drugs. Asmaller quantity of drugs is procured with ease, and then used as the base toproduce spurious drugs that are sold over the internet. Not only are thesedrugs dangerous, but are sometimes prescribed incorrectly. In the UnitedStates, a student called Ryan Haight overdosed on a drug called Vicodin,prescribed by and procured from a doctor and a pharmacist that he had nevermet. The Ryan Haight Bill was passed in a short span of time as a result. Afterthe 1997 address to a council of my peers and others, 15 years have lapsed, andyet there has been no progress on changes to the Clinical Establishments Bill.
