BY MELBA MERGULHAO-CARVALHO ANTAO

WITH THE modernisation of the Goa Medical College building and the Health Minister’s promise to provide state-of-the-art medical facilities in Goa, lower and middle-class Goans were relieved that they need not rush to KLES, Bombay Hospital, KEM hospital, Breach Candy hospital, Lilavati hospital, etc to procure quality medical services for dialysis, endoscopies, major and minor operations and even cancer treatment.

But the Health Minister, Vishwajit Rane, had privatisation of health services in mind when he invited outstation specialists in various fields of medicine to run the GMC, sidelining local, experienced and hardworking resident doctors and specialists. Yet another shocker came our way with the government’s decision to charge Goans for medical services in government medical institutions - especially the GMC - that are known for its slow, but effective medical treatment to the sick of our state.

PATIENTS TO PAY

A notification has been issued by the Under Secretary that the government will levy fees for treatment in Goa Medical College Hospital, Asilo Hospital, Hospicio Hospital and other health centres of the Directorate of Health Services - Goa Dental College and the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour - to all patients who are foreigners, employees of corporate houses, public sector undertakings and bank employees. Surprisingly, no salary ceiling is stipulated, implying that the fee will be the same for every patient, be it for a clerk, a CEO of a bank or an MNC.

Though the notification was signed in 2006, the Public Health Department informs us that they “have not yet worked out a plan on how to go about charging patients who are mostly extremely poor from the underprivileged communities of settlers in Goa and members of the moving population who avail of the facilities of medical institutions of our state, especially the GMC, Bambolim.” At the moment, the GMC only charges a registration fee of Rs. 20 and charges for medicines and unavailable injections.

TESTS & SCANS

THE registration charge is Rs. 20 and private rooms rates are Rs. 200 for single occupancy double room, Rs. 350 for non-AC single room with attendant, Rs. 450 for A/C single room with attendant and Rs. 600 for a VIP room. For bio-chemical investigation, the cost is Rs. 20 each to test for blood sugar, blood urea, serum cretinine, Rs. 50 for serum electrolytes, Rs. 450 for T3, T4, TSH, Rs. 30 each for serum proteins, albumin/globulin, uric acid, serum cholesterol, serum triglycerides and Rs. 50 each for serum HDL cholesterol, serum bilirubin, SGOT, SGPT tests. For radiological investigation a CT head scan Rs. 500 and Rs. 1500 for non-GMC patients, CT abdomen Rs. 800 and Rs. 1800 for non GMC patients, an MRI for Rs. 1000 and Rs. 3000 for non GMC patients. Cardiological investigation tests for stress, echo, respiratory pulmonary function will cost Rs. 250, 250, 150 and 20 respectively with Rs. 10 more for out patients.

Even the dead lying in the mortuary will be charged - for private dead bodies the cost is Rs. 100/day, for GMC patients who died within the premises, the charge after 48 hours will be Rs. 50 per extra day with embalming charges fixed at Rs. 1000 per body.

THERAPHY & MRI

A medical certificate issued to a person who wishes to claim compensation as per the provisions of the Worksman Compensation Act is Rs. 150 and for a certificate CTC claim, it’s Rs. 150. For a certificate issued for other purposes: (a) certificate of both medial opinion and recommending leaves fitness will be charged at Rs. 50 each (b) certificate for non gazetted appointment - Rs. 100 (c) certificate for gazetted appointment - Rs. 200 (d) certificate for any other private purpose - Rs. 200 (e) handicap certificate Rs. 100 and medial reimbursement certificate - Rs. 100.

OPD physiotherapy registration and OPD occupational therapy, whether for in-patients and out-patients, will cost Rs. 100 each. Radiotherapy registration fee will be Rs. 100 for five days for those who are not patients of the GMC. The cost for a major operation will be Rs. 1200 for an adult and Rs. 600 for a minor while other operative procedures will cost Rs. 400. A normal delivery will cost parents Rs. 600. In the dialysis segment, emergency peritoneal will cost Rs. 300 and haemodialysis (maintenance) will cost Rs. 1200. A plain x-ray will cost Rs. 50, but barium investigation will cost Rs. 300. An IVP will cost Rs. 400 and mammography will cost Rs. 500 for private patients.

HARSH MOVE

“THIS is a harsh move on the part of the government, especially the Health Minister who plans to privatise medical services and to make the Goan aam aadmi pay for health service in government hospitals. Don’t we citizens deserve quality medical treatment from our government institutions, especially when India is a welfare state?” queries a disappointed citizen who depends solely on his bank salary to care for himself and his family of three. The 40% migrant population of the state will reap the benefits of free medical care while the locals - who work for multinationals for a paltry salary - will have to fend for themselves. No doubt, our hospitals are crowded mostly with poor migrant patients and patients from the outskirts of the state like Sawantwadi and Karwar, but must the tax-paying residents be penalised for this inflow?