by Savney Monteiro, Pics by JP, Team Mangalorean
Mangaluru: A meeting of the officials from the Health Department, representatives of KMC hospital and the district administration was held to discuss the developmental works at the Wenlock and Lady Goshen hospital at the Zilla Panchayat here, on March 14.
DMO Dr Rajeshwari said that in order to convert Wenlock Hospital into a Government Medical College, the State Government had directed the city administration that the clinic facilities given to KMC hospital had to be withdrawn from the year 2016-17.
Representative, Dean of KMC hospital Dr M V Prabhu said, “Wenlock Hospital has been run under Public Private Partnership (PPP) and has been functioning optimally. The facilities available at the hospital attract a lot of people from various other districts to the hospital. KMC provides about 417 staff to the hospital, which includes, doctors, staff nurses, technicians, office staff, paramedical staff and group D staff. If you withdraw the clinic facilities to KMC then we will be forced to withdraw the staff from the hospital.”
He said that the KMC hospital has proposed to take over Wenlock hospital on a 30 year lease. “We will convert the existing Wenlock hospital into a Hi-Tech hospital with all the facilities you see in KMC Manipal hospital,” he said. KMC plans to upgrade the Wenlock hospital in three phases; a new building will be built in the first phase, renovation of existing wards and OPD’s will be followed in the other two phases. “For the comfort of the patients, we plan to upgrade the hospital over a period of 5 year ,” he added.
In case of withdrawal of clinic facilities to KMC, it was decided that the government should undertake the job of, appointing the staff to meet the requirements of the hospital, create laboratory facilities and procure and maintain medical equipments. If in any case the government should fail to bring in necessary changes then, the existing PPP model should be followed.
Deputy Commissioner, AB Ibrahim said that MRPL and ONGC have given grants of Rs 21.09 crore for the up-gradation of the Lady Goshen hospital. “We have already floated tenders to the tune of Rs 19 crore,” he said.
These are the developmental works planned at the hospital:
a. Electrical works and elevators costing Rs 2.97 crore.
b. High voltage air control system at Rs 0.98 crore.
c. Build two modular clinics at Rs 1.5 crore.
d. Firefighting equipment Rs 1.08 crore.
e. Gas pipeline Rs 1.5 crore.
f. Interlocks Rs 1.25 crore.
g. Electrical works, toilets, plumbing works and other miscellaneous works Rs 20 lakh.
h. Building new rooms Rs 20 lakh.
i. NICU interiors Rs 2.02 crore.
District Minister In-Charge, Ramanath Rai; Minister for Sports and Fisheries, Abhaychandra Jain; ZP CEO Shrividya; MCC Commissioner, Dr HN Gopalkrishna; Police Commissioner, Chandrasekhar and others were also present.