Goans to get priority over outstation patients in govt hospital, says health minister Vishwajeet Rane

Panaji: The residents of Goa availing medicinal facilities at state-run Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) will be given priority from Monday, state health minister Vishwajeet Rane said.

“From next week onwards we will have two queues, one for Goans and another for non-Goans outside the out-patient departments (OPDs) and registration counters at GMCH. We will start charging a nominal fee from non-Goans from December onwards,” Rane said on Saturday.

“But in case of emergency, the patient, even if he is not from Goa, would be given priority,” he said.

Rane had earlier in October said that non-Goans availing medicinal facilities at state-run hospitals will now have to pay “nominal” fees for the services, offered free of cost till date.

He said the decision was taken to ensure that Goans get a “fair deal in these facilities”.

The health department, headed by Rane, will form a five-member committee under additional secretary (health) to work out the modalities to allow free services in the government hospitals only for the people who are domicile of Goa.

The minister earlier said the committee will submit its recommendations on the amount of fees chargeable within next ten days.

Apart from Goans, patients from neighbouring Konkan belt in Maharashtra and from Karwar in Karnataka also use services of the government hospitals in the coastal state.

The minister had also said the Goans can produce the Deen Dayal Social Security Yojana card as one of the identity proofs.

The state government has also decided to implement the bond for junior resident doctors of working for one year at GMCH, Rane said on Saturday.