Margao: Health minister Vishwajit Rane faced a barrage of complaints from residents at the ‘Sarkar Tumchea Dari’ programme in Margao on Saturday, with harassment at govt offices, inadequate facilities at South Goa District Hospital (SGDH) and sewage overflow in Comba dominating the grievances. Rane directed officials to take immediate action.Social worker Prabhav Naik, who submitted a memorandum to Rane on Friday, flagged sewage leakage in Comba, which he said was contaminating wells, rainwater drains and River Sal. Rane instructed Margao Municipal Council chief officer Madhu Narvekar to inspect the affected areas by Wednesday and submit a compliance report to the urban development secretary. He said he would personally visit the area if required and assured residents that the long-pending problem would be resolved.Naik also demanded that SGDH be upgraded into a fully equipped tertiary care hospital with adequate specialists, trained staff, modern equipment, and emergency and diagnostic services. He urged govt to act within a fixed timeframe. Rane said steps to strengthen the hospital had already begun, and the number of ambulances would be increased. He added that the cath lab would start soon, while an online payment facility and a neurosurgery unit would also be introduced.Former Aquem Baixo sarpanch Siddhesh Bhagat said that, besides the shortage of beds at SGDH, patients face delays in receiving diagnostic reports, including X-rays. Others complained of sewage overflowing on the hospital premises, rude treatment of patients and inadequate facilities that force referrals to Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC).A Navelim resident highlighted the harassment people face at mamlatdar offices while applying for residence certificates. Applicants, he said, are sent from pillar to post on invalid grounds and asked to resubmit documents for renewal when the three-year validity expires. Rane directed the district collector to streamline the process immediately.
