By Our Chief Reporter

Panaji (Goa)

Goa government today said that they are open for discussion with their Maharashtra counterparts over allowing their citizens to use facilities at Goa medical college and hospital, but only with certain riders.

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadanavis had recently announced that the State will pay Rs two crore per annum to Goa to treat the patients which arrive here. Goa had started charging the patients who are not from the State.

“I am open for discussion with Maharashtra government over the issue but with the rider that they should sit and discuss it with me,” Rane said.

He said that he has received a letter from Maharashtra government requesting not to charge the patients from their state. “But I am firm on my decision to charge them,” Rane added.

The minister said that Maharashtra government can either empanel Goa medical college and hospital as a part of their medical scheme and set up a special counter here, or can deposit amount of Rs five crore per annum to give service to the people arriving from their State.

Rane said that the decision to charge the patients who are not from Goa was to ensure that the load on state run Goa medical college and hospital is reduced. “we had noticed that more than 50 per cent of the patients at Goa medical college and hospital where from outside including Maharashtra and Karnataka. The respective state governments can set up medical facilities for their patients,” he said.