News: Sanjay Borkar
Daijiworld Media Network - Margao (SP)

Margao, Sep 3: Chief Minister Digambar Kamat has said that the government is alive to the health care of the common man and is determined to improve the health care facilities in the state and empower the people with comprehensive health care schemes.

The Chief Minister was speaking after inaugurating an emergency treatment room at the primary health centre at Sankhali, on Wednesday, September 2.

Speaker of Goa legislative assembly, Pratapsingh Rane, health minister Vishwajeet P Rane, MLA Pratap Gawas, Dr Venkat Changavalli, chief executive officer, GVK EMRI, Dr Rajnanda Desai, director of health services, and Dr Ramana Rao of EMRI were present on the occasion.

Explaining further, the Chief Minister said that the setting up of the emergency rooms is a unique, pioneering, life saving initiative of the Goa government. The emergency rooms are equipped to handle all types of emergencies with state of the art equipments and essential life saving drugs. They will render 24x7 free service to every citizen to deal with different types of emergencies such as injuries caused due to road accidents, drowning, and any other medical emergency. It will be manned by advanced paramedics who have undergone two years of full time Post Graduate Programme in Emergency Care, he added.

Chief Minister Kamat asked the people to derive maximum benefit from the health care facilities being extended by the government. This, he said, will help to supplement the efforts of the government in the area of health. Health care facilities including super specialty services, are now made available in rural areas on par with urban areas, to enable the rural populace to avail the benefits, he added.

Speaker Pratapsingh Rane highlighted the need to lay emphasis on health and education sectors, which are vital for the all round growth and development of an individual. He referred to the introduction of 108 EMRI ambulance services and said, this step has been appreciated by the people of the state. Apart from improving health care facilities in Sankhali area, Rane said, tremendous development has been witnessed in the village in other areas too.

Health minister Vishwajeet Rane said that establishment of emergency rooms in health centres is first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, which aims to provide best medical facilities to the people. He said, the 108 ambulance service started through EMRI, has managed to save around 250 lives per month, which has proved to be a boon to the needy people. He felt there is a need to double the life saving target monthly.

Pratap Gawas and Dr Venkat Changavalli also spoke on the occasion.

Dr Rajnanda Desai welcomed the guests and Dr Shivram Lotlikar proposed the vote of thanks.