Mumbai: ‘Cannot just hand over hospital to anyone’

The Parsi Lying-In Hospital has been lying defunct for 35 years. File pics/Ashish Raje

Trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet and the Managing Committee of the Parsi Lying-In Hospital (PLIH), which has been defunct for the past 35 years, have shot down a suggestion to hand over the hospital premises to Tata Memorial Hospital. A community member and retired Naval officer Commodore (Cdr) Medioma Bhada had made the suggestion so that the hospital could be revived as one of the centres of TMH. The managing committee, while striking down the suggestion, said that it has received two to three proposals which have potential. Noshir Dadrawala, a member of the managing committee, stated that it is neither the right move nor in the best interest of the community.

Cdr Bhada had written to the BPP trustee about the matter, stating that the appropriate authority in the government or the Indian Medical Council could consider acquiring this redundant healthcare facility on mutually acceptable terms. "A hospital that has been lying defunct for more than three decades is essentially criminal, especially at a time when Mumbai's medical infrastructure is stretched to the hilt.

I, in the capacity of a citizen of India and a member of the community, had requested that we give the property to Tata Memorial Hospital, to be revived and turned into one of their centres as they need a space for a centre. I have been requesting that the structure be revived and put to healthcare use. It will help a lot in serving people."

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Dadrawala, however, told mid-day, "We have received a few concrete proposals, but these need to be discussed and studied. If it is done, it will be done jointly by the BPP and the managing committee of PLIH. We do not want interference from any unnecessary third party. As the custodians of the property, we just cannot hand it over to anyone. I have been on the managing committee since 2008 and have seen previous proposals and the way things were handled. Earlier, there were issues with consensus between BPP and the managing committee. However, this time with the inclusive and unanimous approach of the board, we will find a solution and PLIH will be revived."

The PLIH, one of the city's oldest maternity homes spread over 17,000 square feet, was constructed especially for Parsi women. Feroze Gandhi, husband of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, was born here. The BPP had attempted to restore the hospital and had issued tenders a few years ago, but it ran into opposition from a segment of the community.

"Parsi women have given birth here at PLIH for generations. It was a lying-in hospital as after giving birth, they continued to stay for up to 40 days to rest and recover. But as time went on, fewer moms chose to give birth at the hospital and instead went home immediately, and the hospital fell into disuse. We need some time. The PLIH, which has been defunct for 35 years, will be revived - not in its original form (maternity hospital), may be in a new form, but in healthcare," added Dadrawala.

Cdr Bhada, however, has raised several questions in his latest email to BPP Chairman Armaity Tirandaz. He has asked how many attempts were made in the past three decades to revive the hospital and who the actual custodian of PLIH is. He asked as to who ensures that "essential repairs are carried out, the property is kept safe and statutory compliance with regulatory authorities are met and who pays the annual rental/taxes for this property?"

"The statement made by BPP in the public domain states that BPP incurs an annual expenditure of approximately R3.5 crore in respect of the PLIH. Then who funds the maintenance costs of the property? Is it the BPP or the MC, from the funds generated through activities like film shooting, etc,. he asked. He had in a previous letter, dated October 21, to the charity chief sought a probe alleging mismanagement. When contacted, BPP Chairman Tirandaz did not respond.

17K
Area (in sq ft) of the hospital