Opposition bays for blood, demands Rane’s ouster

Panaji: With the medical fraternity, particularly GMC’s Dr Rudresh Kuttikar, rejecting health minister Vishwajit Rane’s televised apology, the opposition pressed harder for the minister’s removal from the cabinet.

The opposition descended onto GMC, joining the resident doctors and medical staff in the protest on Monday. “He (Rane) has to be sacked. There is no other way,” said state Congress president, Amit Patkar. “There is no safety for the doctors, and here we are seeing a minister using abusive language towards the doctor in the premises of the hospital, where he has no authority.”

Patkar said that medical associations across the country came out in support of the GMC doctor. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Goa Association of Resident Doctors (GARD) called for stringent action against Rane. The doctors gave a 24-hour deadline for Rane to come to the GMC and issue a public apology.

Revolutionary Goans MLA Viresh Borkar also joined the protest at the GMC. “The dictatorship and dadagiri that he (Rane) shows in Valpoi and Sattari is also being done here at the GMC. This is a clear example of him threatening to suspend a doctor while attempting to hide the faults of his TCP department,” said Borkar.

Patkar said that the GMC is already overloaded with patients, which overwhelms doctors in the emergency ward and causes stress.

“The behaviour displayed by Rane was completely inappropriate, and interfering in the work of doctors is a serious issue,” the state Congress president said.