Goa to get new medical college soon, says Oscar

NT NETWORK
Posted on 2009-02-17
MARGAO - The Union Minister for Labour and Employment, Mr Oscar Fernandes on Monday said that Goa will soon have a new medical college under the ESI scheme and has urged the Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat to identify suitable land for the same.
Mr Fernandes who was in Goa for the foundation stone laying ceremony for modernisation and upgradation of the ESI hospital at Margao said that the ESI has been opening medical colleges across the country and that one such hospital could be built in Goa.
Mr Fernandes said that foundation stone would be laid at Faridabad next week followed by foundation stones for such medical schools in Kerala, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh. He said that the medical schools would be built under the aegis of the labour ministry.
He further added that the number of seats would be decided based on the number of patients. He said that medical schools will also have post-graduation and added that the ministry will be saving money as the patients have to be sent to other hospitals for treatment. He said all this money will be saved by improving the infrastructure and giving the beneficiaries treatment in our hospitals.
Welcoming the announcement, Mr Kamat assured Mr Fernandes that the government would soon identify the land for the new college. He said that the state requires another medical school, as Goa Medical College is not sufficient to cater to the growing needs of the state.
Earlier, Mr Fernandes addressing the gathering said that the government needs to take care of the workers who have worked tirelessly for nation building both in the organsied and unorganised sector. He futher added that the government also plans bringing the construction labourers under the scheme through a law imposing a
cess on construction of building which will benefit 6 crore families in the unorgansied sector.