Doctor rues delay in BMC projects

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), in its latest budget, allocated Rs 3,700 crore to the department of health and also announced addition of beds, but its long-pending project for a new building at Harilal Bhagwati Hospital with 110 beds is still pending. The authority is uncertain when it would be functional even as the old building was vacated in 2013 for the construction. As per a Right to Information application filed by a doctor, the new building was supposed to start functioning by February 2016.
“We are still preparing the building. All the equipment is being placed so we can’t provide any date till now, but it would take more than three months to start,” said Krishnakumar Ganapat Pimpale, medical superintendent of the hospital who had replied to the RTI.

In 2013, the old Bhagwati Hospital was vacated for the new building with 110 beds that would also have medical intensive care unit. “As per my RTI application, in the old contract, the building was supposed to start by the end of December, 2016 but in the renewed one, it was decided to finish it by the end of February this year. But now, it has been extended again,” said the doctor.
Documents accessed revealed that the project was delayed due to changes in planning by the MCGM so the contactor has not been fined. However, the officials from the hospitals refused to accept that there have been any delay. “There is no delay, everything is going as per the plan,” said Mr Pimpale.
Till December 2015, no instrument for the above project was provided. Also, paperwork for the procurement of instruments was in progress.
“At a time when the municipality is planning to provide additional beds at hospitals to meet the demand of patients, previously declared projects haven’t been completed. How will they handle future projects?” asked the doctor.
The BMC is also supposed to start a super speciality unit at the hospital, but as per the information accessed, its planning is still in process. “The municipality needs to focus more on proper implementation of the already declared projects,” said the doctor.