South Goa District Hospital is set to add magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), echocardiography and scheduled specialist consultations, reducing the need for patients to travel to Goa Medical College (GMC) in Bambolim for advanced diagnostics and related care.
The MRI unit, established in association with GMC at an estimated cost of Rs 12 crore, and an echocardiography machine costing about Rs 35 lakh will be commissioned on Friday, according to officials. The hospital has also trained doctors and technicians to operate the new equipment.
The services address a long-standing gap at the district hospital, which has frequently referred patients to GMC because of limited access to super-specialty consultants and diagnostic facilities. The new arrangements are intended to allow more patients to be assessed and treated closer to their homes in South Goa.
A cardiologist from GMC will be available at the hospital three times a week. Nephrology consultations will be held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Echocardiography will be offered to both inpatients and outpatients on designated days, according to the hospital’s service schedule.
The additions are significant for patients who currently need to travel to Bambolim for specialist opinions or tests that were not available at the district hospital. For people requiring cardiac evaluation, MRI scans or nephrology consultations, the new services could reduce the number of trips between South Goa and GMC, although the hospital’s initial schedule indicates that specialist access will remain organised around fixed consultation days.
The development also reflects the role of district hospitals as an intermediate level of care between primary facilities and tertiary medical colleges. By adding advanced diagnostic equipment and visiting specialist services, the South Goa hospital is expected to handle a larger share of cases locally while continuing to rely on GMC for services beyond its capacity.
The shortage of specialist facilities at the hospital had been raised repeatedly in recent years by PWD minister Digambar Kamat and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai. Their concerns focused on inadequate services and the hospital’s frequent referrals to GMC.
Officials said the MRI unit and echocardiography service, along with the fixed-day cardiology and nephrology consultations, will expand the hospital’s ability to provide specialist care. The immediate milestone is the commissioning of the two diagnostic services on Friday, followed by the scheduled rollout of consultations and patient services.
