Decision comes due to civic body's financial crunch; officials promise peripheral hospitals will be strengthened
People wait outside Kasturba hospital to get screened for COVID-19. File pics
Considering the poor financial condition of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in view of the pandemic, it has decided to drop the plan of developing a 5,000-bed multi-speciality-cum-infectious diseases hospital. Instead, the civic body plans to strengthen its peripheral hospitals to fight the pandemic better.
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Kasturba hospital has a 125-bed infectious diseases facility
The concept of a multi-speciality hospital, which could also serve as one for treatment of infectious diseases, was first discussed by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in July. Mumbai has a 125-bed infectious diseases facility at Kasturba hospital.
Cops wait outside Kasturba hospital to get screened for COVID-19
The 5,000-bed hospital, which was supposed to come up on a 20-acre plot, had to be funded by the corporation and the state government, as it would have facilitated both Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The plan was to develop it near Mulund or Dahisar so that it would be accessible to the neighbouring cities.
Fund crunch
The BMC did not have a big plot so it had invited an Expression of Interest for acquisition of a plot for the hospital near the Eastern or Western Express Highway towards the end of July. While it found two private properties in Mulund and Bhandup, the cost involved was huge. The BMC has set aside the plan for a while due to fund crunch.
Requesting anonymity, a senior civic official said, "As of now, we are not focusing on developing a super speciality hospital. It will take some time as we need more funds."
He added that for now the civic body would focus on strengthening its 16 peripheral hospitals, which could act like dedicated hospitals in case of emergencies. The total strength of the peripheral hospitals is almost 5,000 beds.
Speaking to mid-day, Additional Municipal Commissioner P Velarasu, who was looking into the land acquisition matter, said, "There isn't any further development in the land acquisition process for the hospital. We have referred the matter to the state government."
Meanwhile, the BMC also plans to add another 250 beds in Kasturba hospital and has made a provision for the same in the next budget. The hospital would also have upgraded medical infrastructure like ventilators, MRI so that it can meet all emergencies.
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