Mangalore, Jan 13 (DHNS) : The much awaited construction work of the new multi-storied building at Government Lady Goschen Hospital in the city will finally commence, with the foundation stone laying programme for the building scheduled on February 9.

Announcing the same, Union Minister for Oil and Natural Gas M Veerappa Moily during his visit to the hospital premises on Sunday said that oil companies - Mangalore Refinery and Petro-chemical Ltd (MRPL) and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) will fund the entire project cost of Rs 21 crore. The pre-bidding meeting on the work will be convened on January 16 and the tender will be opened on January 28.

The five storeyed building including parking lot in the basement will be developed in two phases. The first phase of the work should be completed within two years, wherein at least two floors of the building should be made open for serving the patients. The next two floors could be constructed gradually, said the Minister.

On asked about the capacity of the new hospital, he said initially the hospital would have the capacity of 300 beds which could be later upgraded to 500 beds. The new hospital developed with state-of the-art facilities will have four full-fledged Operation Theatres. “The long pending demand on opening a blood bank in the hospital premises, which is waiting to get a licence, too could be opened with the help of funds from the oil companies. I will ensure that all the required facilities for the Lady Goschen hospital is met with the fundings from oil companies under the Corporate Social Responsibility component,” Moily said.

Speaking to media persons, Project Director Rajendra Kalbavi who was present during the Minister’s visit, said that the building will come up in an area of 1.35 lakh sq ft. MRPL Managing Director P P Upadhya said that the company will release the amount for the construction in different phases as the work goes on.
Lady Goschen Hospital Medical Superintendent Shakunthala M M explained the requirements of the hospital to the Minister.

Long pending demand

Lady Goschen Hospital which started functioning in the year 1848, will be demolished before the construction of the new building. The only government maternity hospital in Dakshina Kannada, Lady Goschen also offers treatments to patients from Udupi and Kasargod districts. The 260 bedded hospital on an average conducts 10 to 15 major surgeries everyday and it has been facing shortage of beds from last few years.

It could be recalled that Andhra Pradesh-based entrepreneur K Raghava Naidu had offered to donate Rs 18 crore for the construction of the new hospital, following which a portion of the building was immediately demolished to facilitate the construction of new building. However, even after one and half years of laying foundation stone for the building, the work never progressed, due to non-release of funds.