sordid state of affairs
The Rs 42 crore 250-bedded hospital was constructed at Peddem-Mapusa by GSIDC and handed over to the health department in 2011.
Although the hospital was handed over to the health department, the maintenance of the hospital remained with GSIDC
GSIDC suddenly in July 2015 conveyed its inability to look after the maintenance of the building.
MAPUSA
With Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) literally washing its hands off and Public Works Department (PWD) virtually distancing itself, the North Goa District Hospital (Asilo) appears to be nobody’s child when it comes to maintenance of the largest hospital in Bardez taluka.
The Rs 42 crore 250-bedded hospital was constructed at Peddem-Mapusa by GSIDC and handed over to the health department in 2011. Although the hospital was handed over to the health department, the maintenance of the hospital remained with GSIDC.
After taking care of the hospital for almost four years, GSIDC suddenly in July 2015 decided to pull the plug and conveyed its inability to look after the maintenance of the building.
On the instruction of the Director of Health Services, acting Medical Superintendent Dr Mohan Pednekar wrote to the PWD requesting it to take up some urgent maintenance work of the structure.
“GSIDC’s decision to suddenly pull out of the maintenance work put us in a very inconvenient position. I wrote to the Director of Health Services, who in turn asked me to write to the PWD,” said Dr Mohandas Pednekar, acting Medical Superintendant of the district hospital.
The PWD wrote back to the hospital authorities stating that since PWD did not construct the building, it did not have the layout of the district hospital and was, therefore, unable to look after the maintenance of the structure.
In fact, the PWD in its letter listed a host of points why it couldn’t take up the maintenance of the district hospital.
In the monsoon, soon after GSIDC stopped to look after the hospital’s maintenance in July, no repair work was carried out in the building.
The damp patches on the hospital building clearly indicate lack of maintenance of the structure.
If authorities fail to take appropriate measures the condition of the building may deteriorate in the next monsoons.
For the moment, Airwing Engineering looks after minor maintenance works of the hospital. It looks after electrical, plumbing and STP of the district hospital.
In fact, Airwing Engineering was appointed by GSIDC to look after general operation of the hospital.
Also, the district hospital has an annual maintenance contract with some companies for maintenance of specific utility.
Blue Star has an AMC for maintenance of the morgue, while Carrier looks after the chiller based on a similar contract.
Many times, hospital attendants and other staff attend to the minor repairs in the hospital. Ordinary requirements like door knobs, handles, etc are procured through the hospital funds.
The difficulty arises when the scope of work involves huge funds.
Last week, one cabinet of the morgue stopped functioning due to a gas leakage. It was only when Blue Star company officials were alerted that the unit was finally repaired on Wednesday.
North Goa District Hospital’s morgue is made up of three cabinets with a capacity to store four bodies in each of the cabinets.
Sources told The Goan that every hospital of the size of the North Goa District Hospital should have a full-fledged hospital management department to look after the affairs of the hospital.
For the moment, what the district hospital needs is the attention of the government to resolve maintenance imbroglio on priority.
