MARGAO
The 100-bedded ESI Hospital at Margao has missed yet another deadline – exactly four years after the hospital was inaugurated, albeit hurriedly, with much fanfare in 2014 by former Union Labour Minister, Oscar Fernandes.
During his visit to the ESI hospital, Margao, on December 7, 2017, Labour Minister Rohan Khaunte had assured that the work on the 100-bedded hospital will be complete in all respects by December 31 last and the hospital will be fully functional by March 2018.
But till date the hospital building has still not been handed over to the government.
The Labour Minister sought to downplay the issue. “We expect the contractor to hand over the building to the government, complete in all respects, within the next couple of days. I will not say that the government has missed any deadline since we plan to commission the hospital very soon,” Khaunte defended. The coalition government had earlier set October 2017 as the deadline to commission the 100-bedded hospital.
Khaunte pointed out that while the ODP and other departments will start full fledged functioning immediately, it may take some time for the recruitment of additional para medical staff, including nurses. “We have to take into account the fact that vacancies advertised in the past had lapsed and we had to revive the same, consuming some time,” the Labour Minister added.
That the government plan to recruit the additional para-medics indicates that that it may take a month or two to complete the exercise, further indicating that full-fledged operations of the 100-bedded hospital may take a couple of months more.
The Labour Minister, who has deputed senior office Sabaji Shetye as Director of Administration to oversee and monitor the hospital work said the government is committed to commissioning the ESI hospital, which will give a big relief to the labour class. “The mortuary which was promised for the ESI hospital on the floor of the Assembly is taking shape at the ESI hospital. I am closely following the progress of work. After the building is handed over to the government in the next few days, we will take a call on the formal commissioning of the hospital with the existing manpower and equipment,” Khaunte added.
In April 2014, the Congress-led UPA government had rushed in with the inauguration of the 100-bedded hospital when then Union Labour Minister, Oscar Fernandes, had flown down to the state to commission the hospital in the presence of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, then Labour Minister, Avertano Furtado and others
