MARGAO:
The Chief Minister further said that the nursing institute, with an intake capacity of 100 students, which will be housed on the top two floors of the district hospital, would start its operation from the 2017 academic year. He said the district hospital will have all facilities including trauma unit, adding that the new hospital will have a 72 cabinet mortuary unit.
After inspecting the district hospital site accompanied by Fisheries Minister, Avertano Furtado and BJP MLAs Nilesh Cabral, Subhash Faldesai and Rajan Naik, the Chief Minister told the media that the hospital project is on the right course for the moment, promising to commission the hospital on December 1. “Work on the hospital project is progressing as per the bar chart. The contractor has promised to complete the work by November 30. We will commission the hospital on December 1,” he said, adding that the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) will float the five tenders pertaining to the procurement of equipments by April.
“I have decided to personally seek the progress report on the hospital work every month so that work goes on as per the plan,” he said, while saying that the government would make timely payment to the contractor to avoid any problem.
Saying that super specialty service in respect of Orthopedic and cardiac is a dire need in South Goa, the Chief Minister said that the cardiac unit at the GMC has been a success. “To avoid a queue at the GMC for the cardiac services, we intend to have a cardiac specialty in South Goa so that people need not go to the GMC to avail the services,” he added.
On the nursing institute, he said the government is utilizing the top two floors of the hospital for the nursing institute to cater to the huge demand for Goan nurses in the country and abroad. “Many a Goan cannot pursue a career in nursing for want of seats. “The institute will tide over the problem,” he said, while asking the Health Director Dr Sanjeev Dalvi to obtain permission for the institute from the Nursing institute six months in advance.
When the media sought to know whether the government is rushing with the long delayed district hospital project with an eye on the 2017 Assembly election as non-completion of the project had a negative effect on the BJP in the Margao municipal poll, the Chief Minister said the decision to commission the project on December has nothing to do with the election, adding that some people must have capitalized on the non completion of the hospital project in the Civil poll.
On the utter neglect of the Hospicio hospital, the Chief Minister said the government has no plans to spruce up Hospicio in view of the new district hospital, saying he does not want to waste the tax payer’s money.
