Mahila Congress demands speedy reconstruction of Lady Goschen hospital

Mangalore, November 7: Dakshina Kannada Mahila Congress activists staged a protest on Wednesday demanding speedy construction of the new building of Lady Goschen Hospital in Mangalore.

Speaking on the occasion, secretary of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee Ivan D'Souza said that better facilities ought to be provided for women in the hospital, especially those below poverty line.

Previously, 250 patients were being accommodated in the hospital having capacity of 140 patients. After demolishment, the capacity to accommodate in the half retained building has dropped down to merely 60-70 patients. Women bearing children are often sent back after a day or two due to lack of beds, in spite of a need to rest for 3-4 days. There have been times when women have been forced to sleep in corridors. This is sheer injustice to these women, he said.

Lashing out at the inefficiency of MLA N Yogish Bhat in construction of the new building, he said that the MLA had facilitated the foundation-laying, but the work had stopped at that. “Mr Bhat talks about having facilitated development projects, but what has he developed for poor people? The construction work at the hospital has been at a stand-still from the past one year. This is a matter of shame. The BJP has proved what it has done for the benefit of women,” he said.

Demanding MLA Yogish Bhat to step down from his post, he said that the committee would protest further against misgovernance of the BJP administration. He also urged that the Deputy Commissioner visit the hospital within a day and inspect the hospital for himself.

President of DK district Mahila Congress Mamata Gatti said that the issues of the maternity hospital were not being taken seriously by the district administration since it was a government hospital where only poor women came for treatment.

Congress leader Kripa Amar Alva said that newly-born babies needed incubators as part of post-natal care. But incubators are unavailable at Lady Goschen maternity hospital. Promises of construction of a new building have gone unfulfilled and women have to endure difficulties post-delivery. When necessary, the BJP takes no action against atrocities made on women, she said, alleging that the BJP were bothered only about making money and safeguarding their posts.

Another activist Josephine said that the staff at Lady Goschen hospital could not be blamed as they themselves were helpless because of lack of space and beds to care for pregnant women.

Public sector oil company ONGC-MRPL recently came forward to take up the project to construct a new modern building under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative.