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Panaji Thursday February 4,1999

Goa gets $50,000 worth of hospital equipment from Canada-based Goans

CODE BLUE!!! This call rings out as hospitals scramble to tackle an emergency.
The International Goan Organization, Toronto, Canada used the same words to rally Goans to reach out a helping hand to Goa. As usual, Goans in Toronto responded enthusiastically with cash donations to pay for the shipment of a 20-ft container packed with hospital equipment and supplies that arrived in Goa at the end of December 1998

The International Goan Organization (IGO) in Toronto, Canada decided to take advantage of the opportunity present by the restructuring of health services in Ontario, Canada. More than thirty hospitals were contacted by the IGO with the request that they consider the International Goan Organization when disposing f equipment and supplies. Some of the health care facilities have already provided equipment that was included in the shipment to Goa. Dialogue and negotiations is ongoing for further donations of equipment and supplies for the next shipment.

"This is our first attempt to gather equipment from hospitals in Ontario and use it to benefit our people in Goa," says Ms. Cellie Gonsalves, Chairperson of the health services committee of the International Goan Organization, "our shipment left Toronto for Goa on November 18, 1998. It was a total team effort that made this project a reality. Members of the IGO health services team in Toronto who worked diligently for over a year were Mr. Soco Aguiar, Dr. Alethea Correa, Mr. Olavo Joanes, Ms. Debbie Araujo, Ms. Zulema de Souza, Mr. Lamberto Gomes, Ms. Charmaine Gonsalves, Mr. Al Mathias and Mr. Paul Menezes."

"Based on extensive research and in collaboration with the IGO team in Goa headed by Mr. Alberto Luis, Director of Caritas, Goa, we selected seven health care facilities that met our criteria", says Ms. Gonsalves, , "the pre-requisite to the supply of equipment, is that significant benefit should accrue to the poor and needy in Goa."

"All the facilities that we have selected in Goa operate fully on a charitable basis," says Mr. Alberto Luis, "and cater primarily to disabled children, the elderly and provide palliative and cancer treatment,: The first shipment included 75 wheelchairs, 95 walkers, 154 boxes of catheter units, 410 boxes of various athletic supports, 4110 syringe units, ideogram, hearing aids, crutches, angio sets and blood pressure sets. The health care facilities that will be receiving the equipment and supplies are: St. Francis Xavier's Vocational Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled Children in Old Goa (Caritas); Christ the King Physiotherapy Artificial Limb Centre at St. Inez in Panaji; Nirmala Mary Maternity Hospital & Dispensary in Cavelossim; Missionaries of Charity in Panaji; Shanti Avedna Ashram Palliative Care & Cancer Treatment Centre in Loutolim; Lokvishwas Pratishthan's School for Handicapped Children in Ponda; the Porvorim Lion's General Hospital in Siolim.

"This is the latest in a series of successful initiatives implemented by the I.G.O. since it's incorporation in 1989," says Zulema de Souza President. Among these initiatives include the Indo Canadian Enterprise Exchange Program, academic conferences and book launches on Goa in co-ordination with the University Of Toronto, Canada.

More information can be had from Mr. Alberto Luis, director Caritas-Goa, Paco Patriarcal, Altinho, Panaji.

Panaji, Friday 29 January 1999

Canadian Goans donate $50,000
Shipment of hospital equipment arrives in the state

CODE BLUE!!! This call rings out as hospitals scramble to tackle an emergency.
The International Goan Organization, Toronto, Canada used the same words to rally Goans to reach out a helping hand to Goa. As usual, Goans in Toronto responded enthusiastically with cash donations to pay for the shipment of a 20-ft container packed with hospital equipment and supplies that arrived in Goa at the end of December 1998

The International Goan Organization (IGO) in Toronto, Canada decided to take advantage of the opportunity present by the restructuring of health services in Ontario, Canada. More than thirty hospitals were contacted by the IGO with the request that they consider the International Goan Organization when disposing f equipment and supplies. Some of the health care facilities have already provided equipment that was included in the shipment to Goa. Dialogue and negotiations is ongoing for further donations of equipment and supplies for the next shipment.

"This is our first attempt to gather equipment from hospitals in Ontario and use it to benefit our people in Goa," says Ms. Cellie Gonsalves, Chairperson of the health services committee of the International Goan Organization, "our shipment left Toronto for Goa on November 18, 1998. It was a total team effort that made this project a reality. Members of the IGO health services team in Toronto who worked diligently for over a year were Soco Aguiar, Alethea Correa, Olavo Joanes, Debbie Araujo, Zulema de Souza, Lamberto Gomes, Charmaine Gonsalves, Al Mathias and Paul Menezes."

"Based on extensive research and in collaboration with the IGO team in Goa headed by Mr. Alberto Luis, Director of Caritas, Goa, we selected seven health care facilities that met our criteria", says Ms. Gonsalves, "the pre-requisite to the supply of equipment, is that significant benefit should accrue to the poor and needy in Goa."

"All the facilities that we have selected in Goa operate fully on a charitable basis," says Mr. Alberto Luis, "and cater primarily to disabled children, the elderly and provide palliative and cancer treatment,: The first shipment included 75 wheelchairs, 95 walkers, 154 boxes of catheter units, 410 boxes of various athletic supports, 4110 syringe units, ideogram, hearing aids, crutches, angio sets and blood pressure sets. The health care facilities that will be receiving the equipment and supplies are: St. Francis Xavier's Vocational Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled Children in Old Goa (Caritas); Christ the King Physiotherapy Artificial Limb Centre at St. Inez in Panaji; Nirmala Mary Maternity Hospital & Dispensary in Cavelossim; Missionaries of Charity in Panaji; Shanti Avedna Ashram Palliative Care & Cancer Treatment Centre in Loutolim; Lokvishwas Pratishthan's School for Handicapped Children in Ponda; the Porvorim Lion's General Hospital in Siolim.

"This is the latest in a series of successful initiatives implemented by the I.G.O. since it's incorporation in 1989," says Zulema de Souza President. Among these initiatives include the Indo Canadian Enterprise Exchange Program, academic conferences and book launches on Goa in co-ordination with the University Of Toronto, Canada.

January 27 1999