District hospitals in Goa refer nearly 12,000 serious cases to GMC every yr

Panaji: Every year around 12,000 accident, cardiac, brain stroke and other serious cases, are referred from both the district hospitals and Ponda sub-district hospital to GMC.

The facilities lacking at the North Goa district hospital resulting in referrals to GMC include lack of ICCU/CCU/HDU/PICU care, super specialities like neurology, cardiology, neurosurgery, nephrology, plastic surgery, paediatric surgery and urology. The hospital also lacks emergency dialysis, MRI/CECT scan/HRCT/CT scan. The hospital’s CT scan has been non-functional since March 2024.

At the South Goa district hospital, majority of the referrals are for cardiology, neurology and nephrology opinions, for chronic kidney disease cases and acute renal failure requiring dialysis or further investigation.

Unstable cardiac patients who need cardiologist’s opinion and early investigation and treatment of coronary angiography are also referred to GMC.

STEMI patients after thrombolysis are also referred to GMC. Poisoning neurotoxic snake bite cases who may need ICU care and ventilator support are sent to GMC.

Strokes with intracerebral bleeding for CT scan and evaluation by neurosurgeons are also referred to GMC. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumonia patients which may need ventilator support are another group of patients who require to be referred to the South Goa district hospital.

Among paediatric patients, those requiring PICU care and ventilation and advanced neonatal care and ventilator care and investigations like MRI and bone marrow also require to be referred to GMC.

South Goa district hospital’s ICU was made operational in May 2024 after a petition was filed in the high court.

PWD has already started work on trauma care unit Level II next to the casualty at South Goa district hospital which is expected to reduce referrals to GMC. “The unit is expected to be ready soon and will cater to cases of accidents, falls and other physical trauma cases. All other medical emergency cases will be seen by the casualty,” a health official said.

The hospital that is functioning at its full capacity of 500 beds and struggling with staff shortages has seen six additional doctors join with three more set to join soon. It has also received nurses but is yet to receive more MTS to manage the huge numbers. The hospital sees a daily footfall of 1,500 to 1,700 at its OPDs and around 350-400 admissions each day. The casualty alone receives a daily footfall of 150 persons.