Government of Goa have attained the goal of “Health For All” by the year 2000 A.D. through its various health and medical care programmes. Goa is therefore considered as best performing states in the matter of health & medical care. Directorate of Health Services (DHS) has an important role in the provision and administration of health services and in order to raise the quality, extend accountability and carry out the services fairly, effectively and courteously.
Goa has one of the most extensive health systems in India. The Directorate of Health Services has an important role to perform in the Administration as far as health systems & services are concerned. The Directorate of Health Services primarily seeks to provide preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative health services to the people through primary health care approach which has been accepted as one of the main instruments of action for development of human resources, accelerating the socio-economic development and attaining improved quality of life. Primary health care is essential health care for all citizens, easily accessible and at a cost which the citizens and community can afford. In the rural areas services are provided through a network of integrated health and family welfare delivery system.
The primary health care infrastructure has been developed as a three tier system – Sub- Centres, Primary Health Centres and Community Health Centres. Sub-Centre is the most peripheral contact point between the Primary Health Care System and the community and is manned generally by one M.P.H.W. (F), one M.P.H.W.(M) and a peon/Attendent. Primary Health Centre is manned by a Medical Officer supported by para-medical and other staff. Some of the PHCs have attached hospitals ranging with 12 to 30 beds and are headed by a Health Officer. The PHCs act as referral units for the sub-centres and provide curative, preventive, promotive and family welfare services. The Community Health Centres are headed by a Health Officer generally with four specialist doctors and a minimum of 30 beds. It serves as a referral centre for PHCs. In addition, there are Rural Medical Dispensaries (RMDs) in remote and inaccessible areas manned by a R. M.O. and a Compounder where regular OPDs are conducted. The Directorate of Health Services with its network of 5 CHCs, 19 PHCs (13 with attached hospitals), 172 Sub-Centres,29 R.M.Ds, one Medical Dispensary provides basic health care services to the people of Goa particularly to those living in rural areas. The two District Hospitals viz. Hospicio Hospital, Margao in South Goa District and Asilo Hospital, Mapusa in North Goa District, and three other specialised/general hospitals viz. Leprosy Hospital, Macasana; T.B. Hospital, Margao; one Cottage Hospital, Chicalim; under the Directorate also serve as referral Hospitals.
There are in all 1234 beds in the hospitals under the Directorate of which 424 beds are attached to CHCs / PHCs. There are 17 Dental clinics and other special clinics for implementation of various programmes such as Family Welfare, T.B., S.T.D., Malaria, Leprosy, Control of Blindness, etc. There are two Homeopathic Dispensaries (one attached to UHC, Panaji and the other attached to CHC, Pernem) and one Ayurveda Dispensary (attached to UHC, Mapusa). There are four Urban Health Centres in the four major towns viz. Panaji, Margao, Vasco and Mapusa and one Medical Dispensary at Sada, Vasco and STD clinic at Baina, Vasco.
