Painting work of reconstructed portion of building underway
Repair work underway at the Margao Urban Health Centre.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
July 8, 2023. The façade of the heritage Margao Urban Health Centre building came crumbling down in the wee hours of the day, due to the heavy rains, leaving a couple of two-wheelers buried under the debris.
Since then, services of the Urban Health centre were shifted to the adjoining Hospicio hospital. Presently, only the office administration is being run from the Old Hospicio building, while the OPD and the immunisation programme is carried out from the South Goa district hospital.
Indeed, it will be almost two years in a month and half from now and health and para-medical staff keeps their fingers crossed – whether the heritage building will play host to the Urban health services under one roof before the onset of monsoon?
For, repair work of the building façade is still going on, dragging on for the last several months, with no signs of early completion. A visit to the Centre shows that the masonary work is almost complete with the contractor engaged by the PWD, Buildings have given final touches to restore the façade to its original condition.
Sources said the painting work of the repaired and reconstructed portion of the building is underway, but doubts are cast over the completion of the work in view of the heavy pre-monsoon showers that have lashed the state in the last couple of days.
Will the PWD and its contractor complete the repair work on the building at least before the onset of monsoons, is a question being asked by the medical and para-medical staff attached to the Urban Health Centre. “We all want to go back to the heritage building at the earliest. Though the work was minor, it has taken the authorities almost two years to complete the masonary work. We hope and pray that before the onset of monsoon, all the services are shifted back to the Urban health centre heritage building”, a health official said.
He added; “Right now, we are running our OPD and immunisation services from the South Goa district hospital. We have been told there to take steps to return back to our heritage building because the hospital want to utilize the space. Our office and administration continues to be run from the Old Hospicio building. Hope the work is completed at the earliest”.
A pre-medical staff wondered why it has taken nearly two years for the government to repair and restore the building to its original condition. “Why is the work being expedited on the eve of the monsoons when the PWD had two years at its disposal to complete the repair work. With the state lashed by pre-monsoon showers, will the PWD and its contractor complete the work and pave the way for the restoration of all services at the Urban health Centre”, the staffer questioned.
