Do not force people to go for costly medical facilities : Goa Bench

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Panaji, 8th October – Good medical facilities should be made available at Government hospitals and primary health centres in the State, so that people wouldn’t have to go elsewhere for costly treatment, directed the Goa Bench of Mumbai High Court to the State. These instructions were given by a two-member Bench of Goa, comprising Justice G S Kulkarni and Justice Bharat Deshpande. The above directions were issued in the case of a petition filed by the father–son duo viz. Prakash Sardesai and Vishwesh Sardesai in 2007.

The Health Secretary, the Director of the Health Service Directorate, Goa Medical College, and Goa Medical Council were made as the Respondents in this case. Vishwesh Sardesai, the son of Prakash Sardesai, met with an accident in 2007, and he had to go to a hospital with costly medical treatment since the required facility was not available at the Government hospital. It is difficult for ordinary citizens to afford costly medical treatment; therefore, the Government hospital should provide good medical facilities, was the demand through this petition.

The Bench of the High Court took serious note of the petition and asked the Government to submit a report on medical and other facilities provided by the State Government. The Bench appointed senior advocate Suresh Lotalikar as ‘Amicus Curiae’.

The Government set up various committees related to the working of its hospitals and solved the issues about supervision of medical services offered and other problems. The Goa Bench of Mumbai High Court appointed senior advocate J E Coelho Pereira as the Commissioner with Carlos Ferreira and Ryan Menezes as the members of the commission that inspected the Government hospitals and primary health centres across the State and presented before the Bench, their report on the pathetic condition of medical services and facilities. While passing the verdict, the Bench noted its observations as ‘Good health is the true wealth and lack of it makes life miserable’.

The Bench has given the following directions to the State Government

• Start a systematic machinery to supply medicines and supervise the working of all Government hospitals and health service centres in the State.

• The posts of medical officers, nurses, para-medical staff, and other staff should not be left vacant. The vacancies should be reviewed frequently and the posts should be increased as per requirement.

• Operation Department, Out-patient Department, and Divisions should have necessary medical equipment, and they should be maintained in good working condition by carrying out repairs whenever necessary.

• Financial provisions should be made for the maintenance of all equipment and other things required in case of emergency, special medicines, and life-saving drugs.

• Special facilities should be made available for the poor, senior citizens, handicapped, women, and children.

• Information about the medical services and treatments available at the Government hospitals, names of the specialist doctors, and other details should be made available on the websites of the hospitals and apps on cell phones.

• A special department should be set up to make available health welfare services offered by the Central Government and through this department, the Government’s every medical facility should be made available.

• Other than various existing committees and advisory councils, a standing committee should be formed under the State Health Secretary as the Chairman, Health Director, District Collectors of both districts, social activists, and members of other non-governmental institutions, for inspecting Government hospitals and other health centres and getting their recommendations for providing good medical facilities.

• A Cell should be set up for public grievances related to the working of the hospitals and their quick redressal.