Goa govt appoints one-man committee to look into GMCH affairs

The state government has appointed a one-man committee to probe allegations of maladministration at Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).
"The committee would be headed by retired bureaucrat N D Agarwal, who will also act as public grievance officer (handling complaints related to the hospital)," Deputy Chief Minister Francis D'Souza said here today.
Located at Bambolim village near here, the state-run GMCH was in news recently due a flurry of allegations against it including, non-availability of essential medicines, poor quality of medical facilities and mismanagement.
Agarwal would be mandated to scrutinise and act on a number of complaints filed against GMCH by various people, including doctors, nurses, other staff members, patients and non-government organisations, D'Souza said.

The officer has been given three weeks' time to "study all complaints and submit a compliance report to the government", he said.
D'Souza said the state government is mulling to appoint an administrator to oversee the functioning of the medical facility, which has a 1,200-bed hospital, a dental care centre and a girls' hostel, among other units.
Asked about a report made public by a local NGO, Gen Next, exposing several illegalities in the hospital's administration, he said "I agree that there are many problems but those are minor ones.