Goa, July 5: A formal appeal has been directed to the Goa administration to implement an unrestricted ₹10 lakh health insurance policy to counter widespread staff vacancies and equipment deficits in public hospitals. The recommendation follows reports that multiple administrative positions remain unfilled at major institutions, such as the South Goa District Hospital, which currently manages 193 vacant posts alongside severe medicine shortages. Critics of the current local setup state that outdated medical infrastructure has forced secondary care units to act primarily as transit points rather than treatment facilities.
The proposed intervention aims to eliminate the socioeconomic divide in medical access by allowing underprivileged residents to utilize private hospital networks. Under the current state policy, families receive coverage capped between ₹4 lakh and ₹6 lakh, an amount described as insufficient for complex oncological or cardiovascular interventions. Furthermore, internal data shows that over one lakh families have abandoned the regional health card system due to widespread institutional non-cooperation.
“The payment rates fixed by the government were last revised in 2016,” Arvind Kejriwal asserted while analyzing the operational failures of the local health scheme. He declared that private clinics frequently turn away cardholders because the state fails to settle financial balances punctually. “Most hospitals believe these rates are no longer financially viable, so they find one excuse or another to refuse patients.”
The operational success of the alternative model relies on prompt financial clearances and comprehensive disease listings, including critical diagnostic tools like PET scans. By integrating both public and private sectors, the system aims to reduce the heavy patient load concentrated at the sole government super-speciality center.
“We appeal to the Chief Minister of Goa to adopt Punjab’s successful policy and implement the ₹10 lakh health insurance scheme in Goa as well,” the party convenor declared. He maintained that equal access to premium medical institutions should be treated as a fundamental right rather than a privilege restricted to affluent circles. “These are the hospitals where the wealthiest and the politically influential receive treatment. If this scheme is implemented, these hospitals will become accessible even to the poorest person.”
