Migrant women labourers from neighbouring states come to Goa on the pretext of work, only to deliver children here because of the good health-related infrastructure in the state, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said on Friday.
"I know the migrant labourers who come to Goa on the lame excuse of doing some work, because they want to deliver safely in Goa. I know a number of women... They come over here on the pretext of getting some work, laborious work, building work, construction work. They come for safe delivery and we have no objection for it also," he said.
Parsekar was speaking at a book release function late Friday.
He also said Goa was a beacon as far as gynaecology-related health facilities were concerned because the state's "Infant Mortality Rate was less than 10 (number of deaths per 1000 births) and maternal mortality rate was almost zero".
Goa's state-run hospitals see a sizeable number of patients from the neighbouring border states of Karnataka and Maharashtra, especially from the border districts of both the states.
The volume of visiting patients had in the recent past forced the Goa government to consider charging non-domicile patients for health services obtained in the state.
Goa, known more as a beach tourism destination, has one of the best patient to doctor ratio of 1:600, while the World Health Organisation prescribed limit is one doctor for a 1,000 patients.