Sanguem Center to Get 24×7 Emergency Room: Health Minister Vishwajit Rane

Within eight days, a 24×7 two-bed emergency room will start functioning and one more 108 ambulance will be delivered to the Sanguem primary health center (PHC), health minister Vishwajit Rane said. He was speaking at the inaugural of the renovated 20-bed primary health center, on Saturday. The renovation was undertaken at a cost of over Rs 99 lakh with funds allotted by the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC). Responding to Sanguem MLA Prasad Gaonkar’s demand for more cardiac ambulances to the taluka, Rane promised to allot one more cardiac ambulance to the PHC “keeping in mind the vast area of the taluka”. “I started the 108 ambulance service in Goa and I want to take it to a higher level. Initially, we had basic life-saving ambulances, but now, all ambulance will be upgraded to an advance level with ECG machines and ventilators,” he said. Stating that currently, only five ambulances are operating across the state, Rane said, “In the coming days, I will increase the number of cardiac ambulances to 15. They will have trained doctors and will be fitted with ECG machines that will send direct transmission to a hospital in Bangalore for advice from specialist doctors.”

Rane further promised that a dialysis center will be opened shortly at the Sanguem PHC and that the Rivona sub-center will be upgraded. “Work on the cancer center, which is currently underway at Goa Medical College, will be ready by December 2019. While the government will provide all necessary infrastructure, the center’s operations will be handed over to the Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai,” he said. Rane said that chief minister Manohar Parrikar has given a clearance for 100 modern anganwadis to be started across the state. Speaking that the inaugural, Gaonkar said the proposed three-floor extension building will be constructed at the cost of Rs 16 crore and that it will be connected to the existing renovated PHC. Rane assured the MLA that the sanction order for this will be passed before the code of conduct comes into force. Also, present was GSIDC chairman and Sanvordem MLA Deepak Pauskar. – TOI