Rane assures Goa doctors threatening strike over accommodation

The Goa Association of Resident Doctors (GARD) has asked the state government to ensure doctors at ESI and South District hospitals in Margao continue to get accommodation as before. They said traveling to Goa Medical College and Hospital takes an hour and those on call 24/7 due to the outbreak will be severely hampered.

Doctors of two COVID-19 facilities in Goa who have been asked to vacate their government-provided accommodation from Sunday onwards have been assured of justice by state health minister Vishwajit Rane after the former threatened to strike work. The Goa Association of Resident Doctors (GARD) has asked the state government to ensure doctors at ESI and South District hospitals in Margao continue to get accommodation as before.

They said travelling to Goa Medical College and Hospital takes an hour and those on call 24/7 due to the outbreak will be severely hampered. "All of us are disheartened with such a decision and are left with no other option but to return to GMC and retract our services from ESI and South District hospital," the GARD said.

When contacted, Rane said he had taken up the matter with the chief minister and chief secretary, adding that "sentiments of the doctors fighting the pandemic will have to be taken into consideration".