Team Herald
PANJIM: A day after Goa Medical College and Hospital’s (GMC) oldest lecture hall’s outer portion collapsed, the government has decided to demolish the already dilapidated structure and reconstruct it at the same site. Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Francis D’Souza announced that the project will be handed over to Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC).
“The structure was inspected about two months ago and declared to be in a dilapidated condition. We had asked GMC to shift the lecture halls to the new building, which is already complete in the wake of increase in MBBS seats,” he told the media.
With the collapse of the ‘outer decorative parapet’ following incessant rains, D’Souza said, “GSIDC will be tendered to rebuild the structure. Until then, the new lecture halls will be used for the academic session.” GSIDC is the nodal agency for maintenance and repairs of GMC.
There was fortunately no casualty as students are on study vacation for the last fortnight, preparing for the prelims scheduled from July 1. The exams, which were supposed to be held in Lecture Halls 1 and 2 will be shifted to the examination hall. “We will use the examination hall to conduct prelims. This will be followed by Goa University exams in August,” GMCH Dean Dr Pradeep Naik told Herald. Some 200 students will appear for prelims next month.
The building comprising three lecture halls. Lecture Hall number 3 was unutilized after the ceiling had earlier come down while classes were underway. One student had been injured in the accident.
