Patients queue for hours as viral infections rise
Vasco: With only one doctor on duty, the Chicalim Sub-District Hospital witnessed long queues and growing frustration on Sunday as patients from three constituencies—Mormugao, Vasco, and Dabolim—waited for hours for treatment.
The hospital was overwhelmed with patients suffering from viral infections, including many children with high fever. Tempers flared between patients and security staff due to extended waiting times. With private clinics shut on Sundays and OPDs closed, residents depended entirely on the government hospital.
Sources said the hospital routinely operates with minimal staff on Sundays and holidays. One doctor reports at 9 am and is relieved at 5 pm, with another taking over until the next morning.
Chetna Dyapurkar, who had brought her aunt for treatment, alleged, “It has happened in the past that people have died after wrong treatment by private doctors. That’s why we now directly come here, especially for dengue, typhoid or viral infections. But we are often disappointed—either the staff is inadequate or facilities are lacking. Sometimes we feel neglected
and ignored.”
A teenage boy from New Vaddem, Madhur, suffering from high fever, was seen lying on a bench in his father’s lap as his parents, distressed by the ineffectiveness of private treatment, waited their turn. Several other children under 10 were also seen outside the casualty, many waiting for hours.
Hospital staff were unavailable for comment, but regular visitors said that such staff shortages and patient overload are frequent on weekends and holidays.
