MARGAO
The government seemed to have no plans to continue with the over century and half year old legacy left behind by Hospicio founder Padre Miranda, who had started the medical services in a small way at the old Hospicio building, way back in 1867, catering to the health requirements of people from South Goa over the years.
That the old Hospicio building will no longer dispense medical services has become evident on two counts. One, the proposal from the Church seeking possession of the old Hospicio building to run a charitable clinic seemed to have not found favour with the government.
On the contrary, the Directorate of Health Services has written to the PWD, Buildings Division to get the old Hospicio building repaired and renovated to house a nursing college with hostel facility.
The government’s decision implies two things; one, the proposal to house a private medical college at the South Goa District Hospital has not been shelved. For, the proposed nursing college was proposed on the top two floors of the South Goa District Hospital with the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) even furnishing the premises to house the nursing college.
Secondly, the decision to house the nursing college with hostel facilities at the old Hospicio building suggests that the medical services dispensed from the building for over a century and half ago will no longer be continued in the future.
Consider this. When the Director of Health Services, Dr Geeta Kakodkar along with health officials and PWD, Executive Engineer Elvis D’Souza inspected the old Hospicio building after the façade of the Margao Urban Health Centre came crashing down on Saturday, it became evident that the government has drawn up plans to start nursing college with hostel facility at the building.
The inspection was conducted to explore the possibility of the old Hospicio building being utilised to house certain services of the Margao Urban Health Centre, including the immunisation programme at the building.
During discussions, the health officials informed the PWD Executive Engineer that the department has sent a letter to the PWD to repair and renovate the old Hospicio building to house the nursing college cum hospital in the building.
It further became apparent during discussions that in the event of a decision being taken to shift certain services from the urban health centre to the old Hospicio building, the same will be dispensed from the premises which had till recently housed the Blood Bank and the canteen facilities, again indicating the government has no plans to open the heritage Hospicio building to house the urban health centre.
Sources informed the health services is ready and willing to open only the ground plus one storeyed building which had housed the blood bank and the canteen, besides the administrative office to house the Margao health services, including the immunisation.
