Relief for South Goa: Centre’s nod for medical college at Margao ESI hospital

Panaji: The long-distance travel for patients from South Goa to GMC at Bambolim will be a thing of the past as Goa is set to get a new govt medical college and hospital in Margao with 50% of seats reserved for Goan students.The new Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) medical college in Margao is likely to commence operations from the new academic year of 2025-2026. This will be the second govt medical college in the state.Union govt on Thursday considered Goa’s request for the inclusion of ESI Margao Hospital in the list of locations under active consideration for setting up new medical colleges.Chief minister Pramod Sawant told TOI that “admission for the medical college will start from the current academic year. We will make all efforts to start the college this academic year.”Sawant said that the total management of the medical college will be looked after by the ESI.“The medical college will start with 100 beds, which will be increased to 250 beds,” he said.“We will provide all the required support to start the medical college from this academic year.”The CM said state govt is willing to give additional land to ESI to upgrade its existing hospital in Margao to a medical college.Sawant said he has already directed officers to start communicating with Union govt to put the project on the fast track. He said additional infrastructure for the hospital will be created. He said he is continually following up with Union govt to get the medical college to Goa.“I wanted to get the AIIMS and ESI. Union govt closed the AIIMS scheme,” Sawant said.“Deeply grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union minister for labour & employment Mansukh Mandaviya for positively considering Goa’s request for the inclusion of ESI Margao Hospital in the list of locations under active consideration for setting up new medical colleges,” Sawant said.He added, “This significant step will immensely strengthen healthcare infrastructure and expand opportunities for medical education in South Goa.” He said that at present, GMC has a 750-bed hospital.State govt has been eyeing the establishment of a private medical college in South Goa to provide better medical facilities to the people of the district and to cut travel time to the GMC. Currently, Goa has only one govt medical college.However, due to opposition to a private medical college by the people of South Goa, the proposal did not see the light of day.