NESHWIN ALMEIDA
neshwin@herald-goa.com
Post 2007, the Margao MLA and the then Chief Minister Digambar Kamat decided to give his city some new infrastructure and decongest the city. With Vishwajit Rane as the then Health Minister, construction of a massive 250-bed District hospital was started to move the town hospital from Hospicio, a dilapidated age old District Government Hospital.
The project was established besides the South Goa Collectorate near the KTC Bus Stand and the construction for the South Goa Collectorate and District Hospital under Hyderabad-based MVR construction was on full swing with both the structures’ main buildings completed.
But with the exit of Digambar Kamat in 2012 and with Manohar Parrikar becoming the CM, he had different plans and the entire teams of construction workers of MVR were moved to have over 700 workers on the South Goa District Collectorate. The work was expedited and the Collectorate building was thrown open in less than six months and renamed Late Matanhy Saldanha Complex. But what suffered was the diversion of funds and workers which completely stalled the work of the District Hospital. To make matters worse the gangs of workers and MVR staff then shifted focus on the renovation of the stadium to prepare for the Lusofonia Games and sadly the District Hospital faced further delay in 2013–14.
“The hospital is too big in capacity and we’re exploring to set up a second medical college or maybe a nursing school and maybe a super specialty unit in the first two levels and hence the structure needs to be redesigned which needs further consultation,” stated the then Health Minister Laxmikant Parsekar.
Simultaneously Parsekar himself exited and as Health Minister with Parrikar becoming the nation’s Defence Minister and Parsekar getting elevated to Chief Minister and Francis D’Souza was elevated to health minister.
“Every new change wanted in the design of the hospital meant redrawing plans, getting new approvals from the Department of Health, redrafting budgets and estimates for new requirements of the hospital and re-tendering work. This is the real reason for delay in the District Hospital and no other reason,” explained GSIDC Managing Director Sanjit Rodrigues.
“If you ask me frankly, the main structure of the project was ready in 2012. I feel, the district hospital could be furnished and started then itself and slowly changes could be added. The delays to shift and the delays in vacating Hospicio and starting repairs is unreasonable but I am in the Opposition and can’t say much,” explains Digambar Kamat who feels the subsequent governments should acquire equipment for the hospital.
Meanwhile former Health Minister Francis D’Souza asserted that during his tenure a decision was taken that until the new hospital is ready and Hospicio is completely vacated, no repairs would be taken up there.
Today, Francis feels that his earlier decision should be revised and with the delay of the new District Hospital, the need of the hour is to repair Hospicio and also start the District Hospital immediately.
Meanwhile Vikramjit Singh from MVR Construction explained Herald that they quit the construction of the Hospital in 2013 after multiple restructuring and continuous re-tendering which left the work at a standstill until the GSIDC re-tendered the works to a new firm which was also another of the many factors that delayed the District Hospital Construction.
