PANAJI; The Health Minister, Mr Vishwajeet Rane on Friday assured the House that the North Goa district hospital at Mapusa would be put up in running condition, within six months after the appointment of the consultant to do so.

Stating that the present set up is not able to man the particular hospital, the Health Minister said that he has not made the institution functional as yet, as he does not want to make it another Azilo hospital.

"If needed, I will seek the help of private players to run the new hospital," he maintained.

"In fact many government doctors are into private practice and do not attend the OPDs," Mr Rane lamented.

He also informed that a total of Rs 17.90 lakh have been spent on the electricity consumption of the new hospital from March 2009 to January 2010, while Ecoclean Systems and Solutions, an agency appointed for sweeping and swabbing the hospital has been paid a fee of Rs 30 lakh for it services, during the same period.

The Health Minister, replying to another question informed the House that two seats for the MBBS course, under the all India quota had been kept vacant during the year 2009-10, while six seats for the dentistry course, under the same category could not be filled.

"And these seats remained vacant as a writ petition before the Supreme Court was involved in the matter," he added.

The Leader of the Opposition, expressing surprise over the fact that seats for medicine and dentistry are being kept vacant, said that the state government could give some kind of affidavit to the apex court, ensuring availability of all India quota seats at these courses, if adequate candidates approach for admission. "Or else, the seats could be made available to the local students," he suggested.

The Health Minister agreed to view the matter with due seriousness and if possible, seek some kind of relaxation from the SC.