The ONGC-MRPL administrative board has decided to provide Rs 21 crore to the district administration to reconstruct Lady Goschen hospital. The six-floor (basement + ground + 4 floors) state-of-the art ultra modern building would come up at 1.5 lakh square foot area. 

The building would be constructed after demolishing (already partially demolished) about 30,000 squre foot area (of the 90,000 square foot) of the 164-year-old Lady Goschen Hospital. When completed, the hospital would also have a state-of-the art burns centre, according to a press release issued by MLA and Deputy Speaker N Yogish Bhat.

He also said that the new building would be named as ONGC-MRPL-Lady Goschen block.A meeting held in this regard at the Deputy Commissioner’s office on Monday decided to call tenders at the earliest.

Deputy Commissioner Dr N S Channappa Gowda, Deputy Speaker N Yogish Bhat, MCC Commissioner Dr Harish Kumar, ONGC-MRPL MD P P Upadhya, Group General Manager (HR) Lakshminarayana, General Manager (HR) Susheelachandra, Architect Premananda Shenoy and Lady Goschen Superintendent Dr Shakunthala were present.

Ray of hope    

It may be recalled that a portion of the hospital was demolished more than a year ago after a Andhra Pradesh based entrepreneur Raghava Naidu came forward to donate a sum of Rs 18 crore and the foundation for the same was laid in the presence of former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa on April 17, 2011. When the foundation was laid, the donor and the government had announced that the hospital will be ready within a year.

 However, the work failed to take off as the donor had failed to provide the promised funds.

With the ONGC-MRPL coming forward to take up the work on construction of Lady Goschen hospital, which serves as a ray of hope for the poor women, who come from neighbouring districts like Udupi, Kodagu, Chikmagalur and Kasargod, apart from Dakshina Kannada, the days of better facilities may not be too far.

It is said that at least 15 delivery cases come to the hospital daily. Before the demolition of the building, there were four operation rooms. However, at present, there are only two rooms.  Yogish Bhat in a release welcomed the ONGC-MRPL gesture for the two facilities which they are taking up under their corporate social responsibility and thanked ONGC-MRPL Chairman Sudheer Vasudeva, Managing Director P P Upadhya and all the directors of the firm.