Written by Intern Swara Bodke || Team Allycaral
A delegation representing the medical fraternity of Goa met the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Goa, Dr. Pramod Sawant, as part of the ongoing stakeholder deliberations initiated by the Chief Minister’s Office in preparation for the forthcoming State Budget session.
The meeting was held as a courtesy call extended by the Chief Minister to engage with key healthcare stakeholders. During the interaction, several important issues concerning public health, healthcare infrastructure, and policy reforms were discussed. Written memorandums outlining specific proposals were formally submitted.
Dr. Shraddha Patil, President of IMA Goa, highlighted the Neurodiversity Initiative as the IMA Goa theme and requested state support in fostering structured awareness programs at the school level across Goa. The delegation also proposed equipping public spaces and residential apartment complexes with Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to strengthen emergency cardiac response systems. A joint initiative between IMA Goa and the Education Department was suggested to promote menstrual hygiene awareness among school students. Additionally, governmental collaboration was sought to enhance HPV vaccine awareness and coverage across the state. The promotion of the Compression Only Life Support (COLS) initiative was also proposed to improve bystander CPR response rates.
Dr. Shekhar Salkar emphasized the need to operationalize a streamlined single-window clearance mechanism for medical establishments, noting that current regulatory procedures have become increasingly cumbersome. He also stressed the need for electricity tariff rationalization, stating that hospitals currently fall under the commercial slab, leading to high operational costs. The delegation requested that healthcare institutions be considered under concessional industrial or special healthcare tariffs.
Dr. Ajay Gangoli from Victor Hospital highlighted the need for revision of DDSSY scheme rates, pointing out that they have remained unchanged for nearly a decade despite rising operational and treatment costs. A revision was requested to ensure sustainability and maintenance of quality healthcare delivery.
Dr. Devdutta Sail expressed the need to support Goa’s integrative oncology initiative. He requested financial assistance for the already operational joint integrative oncology clinic and allocation of funds to establish an Integrative Oncology Knowledge Centre aimed at promoting research, innovation, and evidence-based integrative cancer care.
Members present included Dr. Shraddha Patil (President, IMA Goa State), Dr. Shekhar Salkar (Manipal Hospital), Ms. Roana Costa (Executive Director, Victor Hospital), Dr. Ajay Gangoli (COO & Medical Superintendent, Victor Hospital), Dr. Alakshandra (Medical Superintendent, SMRC Hospital), and Dr. Devdutta Sail (Government Constituted Empowered Committee – Integrative Oncology).
The delegation expressed gratitude to the Hon’ble Chief Minister for the opportunity to present their proposals and appreciated the Government’s proactive engagement with healthcare stakeholders in shaping a progressive and inclusive health-focused State Budget for Goa.
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