Goa Khabar : AAP Goa State President Valmiki Naik has written to Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant seeking an appointment to discuss the urgent need for providing ₹10 lakh health insurance to every Goan family without any conditions.
Valmiki Naik stated AAP’s proposal is not about politics but about ensuring quality healthcare for every Goan. He stated that if the Goa Government genuinely wishes to improve the healthcare system, AAP is prepared to set politics aside and share its experience of successfully implementing the ₹10 lakh health insurance model by AAP.
Drawing a comparison with the AAP Govt, Valmiki Naik stated that DDSSY covers only 447 procedures under the scheme whereas AAP provides insurance coverage for 2350 procedures. Without Coverage for many medical procedures, people are forced to go to private hospital, burdening them financially by having to spend their own money. The AAP Government provides ₹10 lakh health insurance without conditions, thereby allowing all, rich, poor, middle class, same access to quality healthcare. Valmiki Naik further claimed that many private hospitals hesitate to accept DDSSY because reimbursements from the government are delayed and hospitals often receive far less than the actual cost of treatment, letting patients to bear the heavy cost on their own.
Further, he also pointed out that the number of active DDSSY cards has fallen from nearly 2.95 lakh to around 1.81 lakh, clearly indicating that fewer people are finding value in the scheme.
Naik added that nearly 90 percent of Goans depend on government healthcare services, yet government hospitals continue to suffer from inadequate infrastructure, shortage of specialist doctors and lack of essential medical facilities. He said many serious illnesses require treatment in private hospitals, where the existing insurance cover is grossly inadequate to meet the rising cost of healthcare.
He stated that Goa’s healthcare system requires urgent reforms as many Primary Health Centres, Sub-District Hospitals and District Hospitals continue to function without adequate infrastructure, equipment and specialist doctors.
He pointed out that even reports of the CAG have highlighted shortages of doctors and medical professionals in Goa’s public healthcare system. He further stated that while the government continues to promote healthcare achievements through publicity campaigns on social media, the ground reality is that patients continue to suffer because of delayed ambulance services, lack of facilities and repeated referrals from one hospital to another.
He also pointed out that despite Goa having an annual budget of over ₹30,000 crore, only 100cr is utilised towards healthcare schemes, making it inadequate to meet the healthcare needs of the people.
He urged Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant to take the healthcare issue seriously and live up to the responsibility attached to his medical profession by making Goa’s healthcare system one of the best in the country. He demanded that the government increase the insurance cover to ₹10 lakh, expand the list of covered procedures and ensure timely payments to hospitals so that patients are never denied treatment.
Valmiki Naik also highlighted that AAP MLAs Capt. Venzy Viegas and Engr. Cruz Silva have been supporting several healthcare initiatives, including free cataract surgeries and health camps, from their own MLA salary to ensure that people receive treatment irrespective of their financial condition.
AAP reiterated that access to quality healthcare is the right of every Goan, not a privilege, and assured that the party will continue fighting until every family in Goa receives comprehensive, affordable and accessible healthcare.
