Review panel: Margao ESI hospital operating below capacity

Margao: The Employee State Insurance (ESI) hospital in Margao is operating well below its potentialh due to inadequate staff and lack of required resources, according to Bicholim MLA Chandrakant Shetye, who chairs the hospital’s review committee.Following a high-level meeting on Tuesday, which was also attended by labour minister Atanasio Monserrate, labour secretary Sandeep Jacques, and senior ESI Corporation officials among others, Shetye expressed serious concerns about the hospital’s current condition.The focus of the discussions was on implementing immediate measures to enhance the hospital’s functionality through infrastructure upgrades and additional staffing.“The hospital’s current occupancy rate stands at a mere 26%, although ESI dispensaries across the state are performing satisfactorily,” Shetye said. “With 2.78 lakh beneficiaries registered under ESI in Goa, it’s important that we optimise ESI’s healthcare delivery system to serve them effectively.”Shetye said ways to take operations to the optimal level were discussed at the meeting. “Our primary objective is to bring ESI into ‘active mode’ to significantly reduce the patient load at South Goa District Hospital, Margao, and GMC,” Shetye said.A follow-up review meeting has been scheduled for next month to evaluate the progress of these initiatives and implement necessary adjustments to the improvement strategy.