IN NO HURRY: The long-delayed construction of the new Candolim PHC finally shows signs of activity. Once completed, the modern facility will replace the 1969 structure serving Candolim and neighbouring villages.
MAPUSA
What began as a promising initiative to give Candolim and its neighbouring villages a state-of-the-art healthcare facility has, over the years, turned into yet another example of a government project caught in bureaucratic drift.
The construction of the new Candolim Primary Health Centre (PHC) – a project that has seen multiple announcements – remains far from completion nearly two years after work officially began.
The new Candolim PHC, meant to replace the original 1969 structure, was finally taken up in February 2024 after several false starts.
The project, entrusted to the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC), was estimated to cost ₹20 crore, with the contract awarded to M/s R Z Malpani for around ₹17 crore.
Designed as a modern Ground + 1 storey community health centre of international standards, the facility is expected to include emergency treatment units, OPD facilities, male and female wards, a casualty section, laboratory and X-ray unit.
When the foundation stone for an annexe to the existing PHC was laid in 2020, the event had all the trappings of a high-profile government project.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane and then Waste Management Minister Michael Lobo were present to mark what was described as the “next step in improving coastal healthcare.”
Back then, the extension was touted as a ₹20 crore project that would cater to the fast-growing population of Candolim, Calangute, and nearby villages.
By September 2023, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo had announced that the Chief Minister had cleared the way for GSIDC to float a tender for an entirely new PHC building.
Health Minister Vishwajit Rane had also, as far back as 2017, promised a modern structure with trauma and emergency units “to meet the growing needs of coastal residents and tourists.”
However, while the promises have flowed freely, the work has not.
As of November 2025, the GSIDC website lists the project’s completion status at a mere 8 per cent – a figure that itself may be outdated.
A visit to the site reveals slow-paced activity, with basic structural work still ongoing.
Sources at the health centre say construction has gained some momentum over the last few weeks, but even they cautiously predict completion only by August 2026 – a full year beyond the earlier target.
This prolonged delay is surprising, given GSIDC’s reputation for executing major infrastructure projects on schedule.
Whether the hold-ups stem from administrative red tape, contractor inefficiencies or shifting priorities within government departments, the outcome remains the same – a half-built structure and a community waiting for improved healthcare facilities that were promised years ago.
The existing PHC continues to shoulder the burden of serving seven villages, including the densely populated and tourist-heavy coastal belt of Candolim and Calangute.
With limited infrastructure and an aging building, the centre struggles to meet growing patient demand, especially during the tourist season when the population swells.
Ironically, the project might now receive a renewed push – as Calangute MLA Michael Lobo recently took over as chairman of the GSIDC.
With the PHC project located squarely in his constituency, expectations are high that Lobo will ensure it finally moves out of the “forgotten files” category and into the list of completed public assets.
For now, though, the new Candolim Primary Health Centre remains a work in slow motion – a symbol of how ambitious promises and ceremonial foundations often fade into public amnesia once the headlines pass.
