Along with online OPDs, better peripheral medical care is key to ease GMC burden
In a progressive move, the state government is considering taking Goa Medical College’s (GMC) OPD (Outpatient Department) services online. Making the announcement, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said he has asked the Health Secretary and the dean of the GMC to initiate steps for the facility on the lines of its recently opened online OPD appointment system. If this becomes a reality, it will allow patients to access consultations and share medical reports digitally.
The Chief Minister said that the online consultation would significantly reduce the number of patients, as many come from remote areas just to renew prescriptions or show reports. The concept is good, as the state’s premier tertiary care facility perennially battles severe overcrowding. Digitising test reports and follow-up consultations will help effectively triage patients. The shift promises to allow more space in the hospital for acute cases, specialised physical examination and procedures. Implementing the new system may not be as easy as one might think. For minor follow-ups, patients could be told to go to the nearest health centre or sub-centre; prescriptions could be honoured at the nearby health facility, etc. Before starting, the authorities will have to take some measures for a smooth transition. Also, there will have to be enough awareness so that the common man is not left confused. The elderly and others who are not digitally literate may be reluctant to pursue follow-ups online. The online OPD initiative must be integrated into a broader, decentralised healthcare ecosystem.
The government has taken several initiatives over the past 16-17 years in a phased manner. Upgradation was taken up when Vishwajit Rane was health minister in the Digambar Kamat-led government. Major changes came in the next decade during the chief ministerships of Manohar Parrikar, Laxmikant Parsekar and Pramod Sawant. Setting up the cardiology department in 2013 was a major step. Thousands of lives have been saved since then. Similarly, the other departments are also doing a good job considering the daily patient overload. The superspeciality wing has given the hospital a new dimension and elevated its status. Rane has been pushing for upgrades and the CM has been supportive with funds. Sawant said Rs 500 crore has been sanctioned for additional projects taken up in the complex. The medical college has also been provided infrastructure enhancement. Three new lecture halls, built at a cost of Rs 40 crore, were inaugurated two days ago.
The CM also spoke of transforming GMC hospital into a “five-star campus” with beautification, underground cabling, improved lighting, garden maintenance, parking facilities and resurfacing of roads. As for parking, the chairman of Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation, Michael Lobo, has announced plans to construct a multi-level parking facility. This will help ease the congestion currently being experienced in the parking areas. To link the main GMC campus with the Super Speciality Block, the government has proposed construction of an overbridge, which the CM said would be fast-tracked. The proposed connectivity is aimed at operating the facilities as one integrated campus and making it easier for patients to access the Super Speciality Block from the main building.
GMC has not only earned its place as the lifeline of public healthcare in Goa, but also for neighbouring border regions. The sustained capital infusion and infrastructural modernisation are laudable steps towards modernising healthcare delivery. However, the state must balance grand infrastructure projects with fiscal prudence and parallel upgrades across district hospitals and rural health centres. Only when peripheral healthcare shoulders routine cases will GMC be freed to deliver the high-calibre, specialised care that Goans rightfully deserve.
