MAPUSA: The Health Minister, Mr Vishwajeet Rane has said that the new district hospital that has been built at Pedem in Mapusa will be commissioned within the next three to four months.
Speaking at the launch of the Japanese Encephalitis vaccine at Saraswat Vidyalaya in Khorlim, Mapusa, Mr Rane said that merely inaugurating the hospital was not enough as the hospital needed to be fully equipped with all facilities.
We are aiming at making this district hospital better than the GMC with all modern facilities, experienced doctors and a thorough infrastructure so that the hospital would bring a big relief to North Goa and lessen the load on GMC,” he added.
In this direction, the minister said that efforts were on to partly privatise the hospital. Outlining the government’s plan of improving the health scenario in the state, Mr Rane said that keeping in mind this aspect, new schemes were being launched to benefit the people.
Introduction of this scheme to administer Japanese Encephalitis vaccine to children in the age group of 1 to 15 years was also part of the government’s plan to improve the health scenario”.
He appealed to the people to come forward and make good use of this schemes so that everyone could have a good health.
He also stressed that mobile medical vans would be moving about in villages so that health care reaches the rural areas.
Making a reference to the rise in cases of breast cancer, the minister urged the ladies to take good care of themselves and undergo regular check ups.
On the occasion, the vaccine was administered to a large number of children who had come for the event.
Among those present were local councillors, Mr Milind Anvekar, Mr Ashish Shirodkar, Ms Chitra Manerkar, Mr Anand Bhaidkar, Dr Pramod Salgaocar, Dr Anjali Nair, Dr Deepak Kabaddi, director of Health Services, Dr Rajnanda Dessai, Mapusa MLA, Mr Francis D’Souza and health officer from Mapusa, Dr Pratima Thali.
In her address, Dr Thali urged the people to take special care during these days to prevent themselves from contacting malaria.
She also called upon those gathered to take steps to ensure good health and avail of all the health facilities that the government was offering from time to time.
She thanked the minister and the health officials for choosing Khorlim to launch this vaccine. Others who also spoke were Dr Salgaocar and Dr Nair.
The Japanese Encephalitis vaccine launched on Wednesday will be given to all the children in the age group of 1 to 15 years till July 10.