Don’t demotivate doctors
The reported warning given by the Health Minister to doctors on April 12 in Mapusa that they should upgrade their knowledge and adopt the latest technology, failing which they would be “sent home”, might have been more useful in an internal review, instead of it being in public domain. While such public warnings by ministers may or may not improve matters, they will certainly demotivate sincere and hardworking specialists in the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC). The Health Minister must remember that good and efficient medical service to people should comprise not only appropriate infrastructure and adequate medical personnel at all levels, but efficient procedures and sufficient motivation to all specialised and general staff to work with missionary zeal. Giving public warnings to highly specialised, hardworking and respected doctors in the GMC or elsewhere can be counter-productive. The Health Minister has stated that new facilities in cardiovascular-thoracic surgery department will be provided in GMC. While new facilities are always welcome, one must remember the initiative of our former chief minister late Manohar Parrikar, who not only conceived but also laid the foundation stone of the super-specialty block in GMC. He also took initiative in inviting highly specialised, experienced and expert doctors, preferably of Goan origin, working outside Goa, to relocate themselves and join the GMC. Parrikar’s initiative in inviting these doctors to GMC has yielded excellent results. The super-specialty departments in GMC like cardiovascular-thoracic surgery department and cardiology department, among others, have excruciatingly long queues of patients waiting for months together for medical diagnosis and treatment, which itself is a proof of excellence, rarely found in government hospitals. The Health Minister must take care to ensure that his enthusiasm to improve matters should not result in destabilising departments in GMC, which otherwise has been giving yeoman’s service to Goans in the last few years.
Aravind Bhatikar, Caranzalem
Quest for equality
The passing away of Pope Francis on Easter Monday has set the stage for one of the most significant events in the Catholic Church –the election of a new Pope. The Vatican has entered a solemn period of mourning, marked by traditional funeral rites and prayers. With the Pope’s residence sealed, the Church now turns its attention to the upcoming conclave. Cardinals from around the world will gather in the Sistine Chapel, where they will cast their votes in secrecy. The air will be thick with anticipation as black smoke signals inconclusive votes and white smoke announces the election of a new leader. This centuries-old ritual carries immense weight, shaping the future of the Church and its global following. Debates around inclusion and representation are surfacing once again, with many advocating for the first Black Pope – a move that would be historic and symbolic. African Catholics see this as an opportunity to break racial barriers and dispel any lingering notions of discrimination. The conclave unfolds behind closed doors, leaving the world to speculate and wait for that decisive puff of white smoke. The question remains: Will the next Pope continue the traditional path or will this election mark a turning point for a more inclusive future in the Vatican.
Everette Assis Telles, Margao
On terror attack
The recent dastardly attack by terrorists in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, killing innocent tourists selectively, needs to be condemned. The Indian establishment is going defensive on this incident by claiming that the trigger for this was the statement by the Pakistani Army chief recently that ‘Kashmir is the jugular vein of Pakistan’ and putting out a report that the terrorist leaders of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and their new offshoot, The Resistance Front (TRF), that has claimed responsibility for the attack, are all well and accounted for in Pakistan and the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). But the occurrence of this incident has been again because of the failure of our intelligence like in the past with Uri, Poonch and Pathankot terror attacks. Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement sometime back that all is well in Kashmir and terrorism is at a low ebb probably lulled our intelligence apparatus to slumber and also encouraged our people to visit the Union territory. The Pahalgam incident is a massive failure on the part of our intelligence network.
S Kamat, Mysuru
Decisive action
The entire nation is in a state of shock and grief due to the dastardly terrorist attack in Pahalgam that has led to the unfortunate death of innocent tourists. Kashmir has witnessed worst massacres like Wandhama, Nadimarg and many more. The underlying cause of the carnages in Jammu and Kashmir is the radical ideological brainwashing of religious radicals and how their subversive backers handle them. Time has come for devising a comprehensive strategy to permanently overcome the nefarious designs of the country’s adversaries.
K V Chandramouli, Mysuru
