Mangalore: The construction works of the Government Lady Goschen Hospital, which started more than two years ago, has completed only “fifty percent of work”. The building which was proposed to be ready by December this year is likely to be ready only by June, 2015, said Mangalore South MLA J.R Lobo.
During the review meeting, to discuss the progress of construction works on Tuesday October 14, J.R Lobo was greeted by a large number of mothers with their newborn babies sleeping on the cots arranged in the corridor, under a temporary roof covered by steel sheets on the top floor and more than the 260 patients, stuffed in a very small building.
Two years ago, Lady Goschen started the construction of the new building, after ONGC-MRPL came forward to pay Rs. 21.5 crore under Corporate Social Responsibility activity.
Since then, the patients were made to use a relatively small building at Lady Goschen for delivery and neo-natal care.
Medical Superintendent, Shakuntala M told Lobo that MRPL has released Rs 6.5 crore, till now, for the six-storage block of the Lady Goschen Hospital, which would come up at an estimated cost of Rs 21.5 crore.
“The company is yet to make payment of Rs 2.5 crore to the contractors. The construction work was on full swing initially, but the pace has come down now”, she said.
Shakuntala asserted that the recent changes in the norms for funding the projects, taken up under corporate social responsibility (CSR) had affected the flow of funds from Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL).
Besides, District in-charge Minister B. Ramanath Rai along with other ministers would chair a separate meeting on Wednesday with officials of ONGC-MRPL on the issue, she informed.
After the inspection, Lobo told presspersons that the work of new building would be completed by June, 2015.
Best Neonatal Care unit in State
Despite congestion, Dr. Shakunatala told Lobo that the hospital is providing quality healthcare and the number of infant mortality is 5 for every 1000 babies, and maternal mortality is 2 respectively.
She said that the hospital has been attending around 6,000 delivery cases every year. The Special Neonatal Care unit of the hospital has been ranked the best among the 33 SNCUs in the State as the rate of survival of babies here was 90 percent”, she added.
