NT Reporter
Panaji
Alleging that Goans are being denied adequate healthcare benefits, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday urged Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to provide annual health insurance of Rs 10 lakh to every Goan family without any income criterion.
“Many Goans are forced to seek expensive treatment at private hospitals because of gaps in the public healthcare system,” said AAP Goa president Valmiki Naik, addressing a press conference in the city.
He also alleged that the state’s Deen Dayal Swasthya Seva Yojana (DDSSY) covers only 447 procedures, compared to more than 2,350 procedures under the Punjab government’s health scheme.
“There is a shortage of doctors, equipment and medicines in Goa’s public health system,” Naik alleged, adding that the government is fully aware of the situation.
He said that although Health Minister Vishwajit Rane has been consistently praising the public healthcare system, it has been deteriorating in reality. AAP said that allocating around Rs 100 crore from Goa’s Rs 30,000 crore budget would be sufficient to provide annual health insurance cover of
Rs 10 lakh to every Goan family.
