NT Reporter
Panaji
A delegation representing the state’s medical fraternity met Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to discuss issues concerning public health, healthcare infrastructure and policy reforms as part of ongoing stakeholder consultations in preparation for the forthcoming state Budget session.
During the meeting, IMA Goa State President Dr Shraddha raised the need to appoint special educators and create resource rooms to foster neurodiversity. She also requested state support in promoting the theme of neurodiversity and ensuring structured participation of IMA Goa in conducting awareness programmes at the school level
across the state.
“We have also submitted a proposal to equip public spaces and residential apartment complexes with Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to strengthen emergency cardiac response systems. Governmental collaboration has been sought for enhancing HPV vaccine awareness and coverage across the state, with active participation of IMA Goa members. Additionally, it has been proposed that the state support the widespread promotion of the Compression Only Life Support (COLS) initiative through IMA Goa and its branches to improve bystander CPR response rates,” said Patil.
The delegation also requested a blood storage unit at the sub-district hospital in Ponda.
The need to operationalise a single-window clearance mechanism for medical establishments was raised by senior consultant – surgical oncology, Manipal Hospital, Dr Shekhar Salkar, stating that current regulatory procedures have become
increasingly cumbersome.
He said that hospitals currently fall under the commercial electricity slab, resulting in high operational costs, and requested that healthcare institutions be considered under concessional industrial or special healthcare tariffs to reduce the financial burden.
COO and medical superintendent, Victor Hospital, Dr Ajay Gangoli said that the DDSSY scheme rates have remained unchanged for nearly a decade and, given rising operational and treatment costs, a revision of these rates is necessary to ensure sustainability and maintain quality
healthcare delivery.
Dr Devdutta Sail of the government-constituted empowered committee on integrative oncologysaid there is need to support the integrative oncology initiative by granting financial support to the already operational joint integrative oncology clinic and allocating funds for establishing an integrative oncology knowledge centre to promote research, innovation and evidence-based integrative cancer care.
