Mangalore: The 162-year-old Government Lady Goschen Hospital in the city witnessed the second foundation stone laying ceremony for its proposed new building on Monday.
M Veerappa Moily, Union minister for petroleum and natural gas and Jagadish Shettar, chief minister, laid the foundation stone for the new building of the hospital.
The multi-storeyed building will be constructed under corporate social responsibility initiative of Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL), an Oil and Natural Gas Commission ( ONGC) company, at an estimated cost of Rs 21.70 crore.
The new 12,000 sqft building will have five floors apart from ground floor and basement.
MRPL managing director PP Upadhya said that the hospital, which takes care of about 600 delivery cases every month, was in a dire need of expansion. “The hospital authorities and the district administration reached out to MRPL and the board approved the hospital project under MRPL Samrakshan, an initiative with the guidance of Sudhir Vasudeva, chairman and managing director,” he said adding that the project will take about 18 – 24 months for completion.
M Veerappa Moily, Union minister for petroleum and natural gas, said that ONGC-MRPL will sanction funds under corporate social responsibility to equip the new building with super specialty instruments. “We have asked the hospital authorities to prepare a plan equip the new building. ONGC-MRPL will release necessary funds for it,” he added.
Jagadish Shettar said that state government will extend all necessary support for the development of the hospital.
While KNY Association, New Delhi has been appointed as the official architects by the district administration, Krishna Shelters Private Limited, Bangalore has won the construction bid contract.
The government had demolished a major portion of the hospital’s building when an Andhra Pradesh-based entrepreneur offered to donate Rs 18 crore for the construction of a new multi- storeyed building in 2011.
Former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa had laid the foundation stone in the presence of the sponsor on April 17, 2011. However, the project was stalled when the sponsor stepped back from his promise.
