PWD Minister Digambar Kamat addresses the media on Wednesday.
MARGAO
Public Works Department Minister DigambarKamat has said health and medical facilities will get a big boost in thecommercial capital, with the ESI medical college set to start in the 2027academic year, coupled with the Rs 24 crore trauma and critical care unitsanctioned for the Hospicio South Goa district hospital.
The PWD Minister further said that major roadinfrastructure projects costing Rs 170 crore, including a crucial roadoverbridge at the Comba railway crossing, a road linking the city to the Margaowestern bypass and one-time improvement of the existing NH66 passing throughthe city before its de-notification, will soon take shape in the city.
Addressing the media, Kamat thanked PrimeMinister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister J P Nadda for sanctioning the50-seat ESI medical college for Margao in the coming academic year. “Themedical college would be a boon for the students since 50 per cent of the seatswill be reserved for the local youth,” he said. The Minister said thegovernment was completing the formalities to start the medical college from theNUSI premises at Cuncolim, adding that the ESI has a furnished 100-beddedhospital in Margao. “The ESI medical college will take the number of medicalseats in Goa to 300,” he said, adding that the Ayush hospital is set to startfunctioning by next month.
When the media drew his attention to the stateof affairs at the Hospicio South Goa district hospital, Kamat said a Rs 24crore trauma and critical care unit had been sanctioned for the hospital. Hefurther said the district hospital has around seven ambulances at its disposal,including dedicated ambulances attached to the hospital, a 108 heart careambulance and a neonatal care ambulance.
He added: “Just compare the state of thedistrict hospital with the Old Hospicio. From 250 beds in 2020 at the OldHospicio, the district hospital is now a 500-bedded hospital withstate-of-the-art facilities, including MRI, echocardiology and nephrologydepartments. On the anvil is a cath lab unit which will facilitate angiographyand angioplasty at the district hospital,” he said.
City roadinfrastructure to the tune of Rs 170 crore
The PWD Minister further said that major roadinfrastructure projects costing Rs 170 crore, including a crucial roadoverbridge at the Comba railway crossing, a road linking the city to the Margaowestern bypass and one-time improvement of the existing NH66 passing throughthe city before its de-notification, will soon take shape in the city.
He said work on the Rs 21 crore city-westernbypass link road, connecting the city to the western bypass near Vidya VikasMandal, would start soon. Similarly, the Minister said the redevelopment of theNH66 roads within Margao city would soon start, adding that the NH66 passingthrough the city would be de-notified after the completion of the road.
Kamat said the process towards theconstruction of the proposed road overbridge at the Comba railway crossing wasprogressing satisfactorily, adding that work on the Rs 100 crore project wouldcommence soon.
