Goa Govt Rules Out Private Medical Colleges

Goa government has taken the recommendation of the State Health Advisory Council to scrap its proposal to allow private medical colleges in the state

Goa government has taken the recommendation of the State Health Advisory Council to scrap its proposal to allow private medical colleges in the state.

The State Health Advisory Council, which comprises veterans from the field of medicine, has given a list of proposals to the government to give a facelift to the healthcare sector in Goa.

"We have decided not to go ahead with the private medical colleges and in turn would like to strengthen government medical infrastructure," state health minister Vishwajit Rane said at a press meet after chairing the Health Advisory Council session.

Several reputed institutions had applied for setting up colleges when the Goa Government mooted the proposal for private medical colleges across the state earlier.

Mr. Rane also announced that the government would seek a bond from the students who enrolled for post-graduate courses to utilize their services in the rural areas in an attempt to provide better healthcare facilities in those areas.

According to Mr. Rane a slew of changes in healthcare facilities in Goa is in the offing. A urology department would be set up in the government hospital GMC over the next two months and some specialists in the field like Dr Madhu Prabhudessai and Dr Bosseut Afonso have already joined hands with the government to set the ball rolling.

GMC pediatricians would be sent to health care centers where pediatric surgery and other facilities were available to help them acquire expertise and also identify visible deformities, said the Health Minister.

He further said the government was in the process of identifying nurses from the GMC and the directorate of health services. These recruits would be trained in neonatal care, which is vital for proper care of newborn children. According to him the government was looking at a tie up with Workhardt Hospital, which specializes in training nurses.

Goa aims at becoming the first State in India to take preventive measures for cervical cancer. The government has plans to provide vaccination, now being used in UK, UAE and Singapore, to girls in the 12-25 age group. The Minister said that the Health Department would seek assistance and approval from the Center as the vaccination is very costly.

Source-Medindia
THK/L