Putrid Health Care in Goa

Putrid Health Care
From broken equipment to misplaced priorities, the HC-appointed commissioners’ report lashes out at the sorry state of Goa’s public medical system. Preetu Nair reports


Wounds in the state’s health care system have now officially bled onto paper. A three-member team of commissioners, appointed by the high court to visit the Goa Medical College (GMC) and two district hospitals and report on the state of health care management, have submitted a scathing report.
In their findings the commissioners noted that a large number of vacant posts, ill-motivated staff and non-availability of essential drugs have undermined the curative services at the district hospitals.
The team comprising senior counsel Saresh Lotlikar, assistant solicitor general of India Carlos Ferreira and senior counsel J E Coelho Pereira have also noted, “All is not well with the health care management at the GMC.” Essential equipment and medicines are often not available at GMC, they noted.
Since the annual tender for X-ray films has not been finalised, there is a shortage of films in the department that sees 210-220 X-rays filmed everyday. The shortage of drugs for short periods is attributed to reasons ranging from transport delays to manufacturing problems. Equipment in the intensive care wards, especially pertaining to oxygen supply, are often dysfunctional. Ambulances in the trauma unit are not in a “functional” condition. And the state of cleanliness at the hospital is “deplorable”, with the walls of the ICU and private wards stained and dirty with moss, noted the report.
Also noting the refrain that facilities will improve once the planned new building is ready, the commissioners observed: “Patients in the meantime, are not to get treatment for their ailments at the hospital in rooms with dirty and non-functional bathrooms and dirty rooms”. They observed: “Health care pre-supposes a clean and an unpolluted environment”.
The condition at the two district hospitals — Asilo in Mapusa and Hospicio in Margao — is no different, but in fact worse, found the report.
The paediatric ward at Asilo is “within the area of the building where the PWD had declared the roof of the room
to be unsafe
a n d
therefore part of the medicine ward, which was functioning in the adjoining room, had to be evacuated”, noted the report.
“Priorities are also not being worked out correctly,” observed the commissioners. There is no proper health care being given at the district hospitals, because of which patients opt not to be admitted there, they added.
Agreeing with the commissioners report, former faculty member Dr Oscar Rebello told TOI, “GMC is primarily a teaching institute. But, at present it is loaded with all types of cases, from common cold to complicated ones and resident doctors work really hard to treat the patients. This needs to be channelled to improve the situation at GMC.”
Alumnus Dr Eugene D’Silva added, “Politicians directly interfere in the functioning of the GMC and the appointment of staff. Besides, a lot of money is spent on unwanted things such as landscaping, while basics such as gloves and syringes are missing.”
Health secretary Anand Prakash said, “We have also gone through the report of the commissioners of the court and we have taken a number of steps to improve the situation.”
The commissioners were appointed following a petition filed in 2007, by Chicalimbased Prakash Sardessai, highlighting the “sorry state of affairs in government hospitals in the state”. TNN
Bruised & Battered
GMC, Bambolim
General cleanliness deplorable; private rooms unhygienic, not a healthy environment for patients Shortage of X-ray films due to delay in supply; equipment in ICU and ICCU, mainly oxygen supply, not working Oxygen supply equipment in private ward not functional. Conduit pipes obsolete, not working. Central oxygen system broken down. Machine used for barium studies out of order, under repair Condition of general wards worse; condition of gynaecology and post-delivery wards bad
Asilo, Mapusa
Doesn’t function as a district hospital Toilets poorly maintained; occupancy in most wards less than 50% Casual approach of doctors and consultants towards patients and hospital used as venue for private practice Neither the hospital being shifted to a new premise nor increase in staff will improve the situation, unless health care is properly imparted to patients by dedicated doctors and nurses in a disciplined manner
Hospicio, Margao
Building is old and not meant to accommodate a hospital Last monsoon, part of the building collapsed and not repaired. This poses danger to inmates No trauma or Intensive Care Unit (ICU). A label in one of the wards reads: “ICU”, but there is no doctor in-charge of this unit and it doesn’t have any ventilators. Except for monitors, it doesn’t have the required equipment or manpower to manage it One old refrigerator for storage of blood, but no alternate or back-up system in place
(Findings of the ccommissioners’ report) Bitter Pills
The commissioners appointed by the high court to study the health system at the state and district hospitals didn’t mince their words: 1
“We found extensive work of paving the campus area and landscaping being done. We don’t find fault with it, but we certainly observed that the priorities are not being worked correctly” 2
“The appointments (in super speciality) which are made without any open competition, are made to distribute the spoils of power to few consultants to use the GMC as an outlet for outside practice and for them to get all procedures being done at the cost of the government, for their private patients” 3
“The high powered committee (on health) constituted by the government is meant to only drain the exchequer’s money and to give favoured ones positions at the cost of the exchequer”

August 20, 2008,The Times of India,Goa edition