PRATIK PARAB
pratik@herald-goa.com
The story of the completion of the District Hospital of South Goa has become a mere tall tale. Started by the Congress government in 2007, and poised to be completed by the BJP government when it took charge in 2012, no patient or doctor has slipped though its virtual doors. Barring the outer shell, the hospital, at the entrance of Margao is greatest icon of tall promises made in Salcete. With Chief Minister Parrikar, singling out the Margao district hospital for attention in his maiden budget speech of this term and promising to complete it by 2018, there is a fresh hope of this much needed critical health care facility, seeing the light of day.
Mr Manohar Parrikar, in his previous term, his successor and now predecessor Laxmikant Parsekar, Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza, Former Minister Avertano Furtado and the Chairman of GSIDC Pramod Sawant have set and failed to meet several deadlines.
Now, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in his budget speech has made a promised of completing the District Hospital by 2018 which is relatively realistic, rather than the tall promise of his predecessors who targeted 2017.
Failed promises of project completion have been the bane projects of District Hospital and the Sewage Treatment Plant of Margao. The STP may be able to wait but health and emergencies cannot wait for the deadlines to be met. Started much later, Navelim already has a 10-bed PHC for the people but District Hospital waits to come in service.
One of the employees at the site said “Most of the Civil works are nearing completion and the lots of works of service are to be completed. The major interior works will start soon,” said the In-charge. He also told Nursing College has been planned on 4th and 5th floor of the District Hospital. It is also learnt that the Equipment of the Hospital will be procured by the Director of Health and Services.
Work of Operation Theater and other medical service has been tendered. The bottom line of the project and the speed of work is that there is lot of work which is of miscellaneous nature yet to start. This work is supposed to take lot of time for completion and the target set for completion may be pushed even further now.
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Of dates, failed deadlines and delays
December 2008: Foundation stone for the 556-bed district hospital, including a 50-bed Cancer unit and a 100-bed super specialty Cardiac Centre of Excellence was laid at Margao
36 months: Project supposed to be completed in this time
90 months later: Project still incomplete. Work has merely moved from phase 2 to 3
May 15, 2015: Pramod Sawant, then Chairman GSIDC on a visit to Hospicio, agreed that the present hospital has problems of infrastructure and resources and promised a speedy completion of pending work for the new hospital
Sept 24, 2015: Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza, assured that District Hospital will be open for the South Goans before elections in 2017. The minister declared that Rs 99 crores 60 lakhs were tendered
Jan 16, 2016: Then Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar had claimed that the work of District Hospital would finish by end of 2016. He made another promise, that the Nursing college would open in South Goa by June 2017
March 23, 2016: (Exactly a year ago, then Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar inspected the District Hospital and committed to inaugurate it on December 1,,2016, and the Nursing College by June 2017.
May 26, 2016: The Deputy Chief Minister of Goa Francis D’Souza went to the site and said that he wasn’t happy with the pace of the work.
Aug 11, 2016: The Core Committee of Vector Borne Disease Control Programme found over 30 cases of malaria among the labourers at the site of the hospital.
Nov 18, 2016: The then MLA and now TCP Minister in Manohar Parrikar Cabinet, Vijai Sardesai had asked a series of questions to Parrikar. Sardesai asked why the Govt failed to complete the South Goa District Hospital in the last 5 years in spite of the project being started before the Govt assumed power in the state.
Grand finale: After 90 months: Civil works are still waiting for completion and tender for the Operation Theater and Medical equipment is being presently processed.
