South Goa District Hospital building to be ready by June

MARGAO: The building for South Goa District Hospital will be ready for by June. This was informed by the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) and committee on public undertakings that conducted  inspection of the particular premises on Friday.

The committee also inspected the existing Hospicio Hospital, and suggested a system to be put in place there till the new hospital is commissioned.

The committee, headed by Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, and comprising  Nuvem MLA Wilfred D’Sa and Cuncolim MLA Clafacio Dias, along with staff members of the legislative assembly visited the new district hospital building which is still under construction.

GSIDC officials were also present. The officials announced that the hospital would be ready for commissioning by September.

Speaking to the media, Kamat said that “the committee is looking into the matter of non-completion of the hospital in a serious manner.”

“The committee formed as a public undertaking of the legislature is examining various observations made in the CAG report. One of the issues is the non-completion of the district hospital building. We deliberated in the last meeting and decided to see the building and find the reasons for delay and when it will be completed. During the presentation, they said it will be completed by June, and  will then be handed over to DHS and it will then furnish it. By September 30, the complex will be ready for occupancy,” he said adding that “the pressure currently being faced by the Hospicio Hospital and GMC would be reduced once it begins operating.”

“According to the GSIDC officials, the building work would be completed by June, and it will be then handed over to the Directorate of Health Services (DHS), which will be tasked with installing equipment and beds.”

The Margao MLA informed that the morgue at the new hospital would be commissioned by March, thereby reducing the pressure on the T B Sanatorium that currently houses South Goa’s

morgue.

“The morgue at the new hospital will have 72 cabinets. We’ve been informed that GSIDC may be able to complete the work and commission it by March this year. Currently, at T B Sanitorium’s morgue, of the 20 cabinets there 16 are occupied and only four are vacant. If this new facility is put in place, it will be beneficial,” he said.

Following the inspection of the new hospital complex, the committee also inspected the facilities at Hospicio Hospital including the CT scan, blood bank and the casualty wards. Several suggestions were made to the medical superintendent Dr Ira Almeida, who admitted about the space crunch currently being felt at the hospital.

“There is no other alternative for South Goa. Hospicio has a big problem of space and has admitted that they have to join beds to keep patients or ask them to sleep on the floor. This issue will be solved once the new hospital is commissioned.  We have asked them to make the casualty ward a little more vibrant,” said Kamat.