PANJIM: The foundation stone for Goa Medical College (GMC) and Hospital’s 500-bed super-specialty block will be laid by Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda, on February 13.
Announcing this, State Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said, “Through HSCC (Hospital Services Consultancy Corporation), the Goa government has given its approval and the lowest bidder for construction of the super-speciality block at GMC has been tendered. This was a long pending issue.”
He added, “It is a dream project for the Goa government. This project is being guided by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. Once this project is completed it will be very beneficial to the people of Goa.”
Earlier, Rane had said that all hurdles had been cleared and with the 5000 sq meters encroached area also demolished, the government had given approval for the old plan and also intimated to the Centre so that the foundation stone can be laid and the State can go ahead with the project.
Announced about three years ago, the project to set up an independent super-specialty block within GMC has been delayed due to encroachment on the hospital land. The project plan was revised in April 2016, increasing the bed capacity from 300 to 500.
The super specialty block was to be built with funding from the central government under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Seva Yojana in 2015. Subsequently, the State government received a sanction for Rs 150 crore from the Centre.
In 2016, the total revised estimate of the project stood at Rs 386.20 crore. Of this, the Centre was to contribute Rs 120 crore with the balance to be borne by the State.
