The Times of India               09.11.2010

PMC not to privatise Kamala Nehru hospital

PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has announced that the renovation and extension work going on at Kamala Nehru Hospital at Mangalwar Peth has been completed, and the civic body will run the hospital on its own and not privatise the services.

In a written reply to Shiv Sena corporator Prithviraj Sutar, the administration said, "The process to float tenders for construction of quarters for doctors and nurses is on."

The administration stated that the total cost for renovation and extension was Rs 1,254.93 lakh. "As of now, there are 200 beds in the hospital and 400 additional beds will be made available in the extended part."

The civic administration was targeted by corporators for delay in completion of the extension and renovation work. Majority of the corporators had demanded that the PMC should not privatise the services.

According to the PMC's data, the city has 2.9 hospital beds for every 1,000 people. Ironically, in a written reply to corporator Prithviraj Sutar, the administration had earlier stated that 12 municipal hospitals are ready, but due to the unavailability of the required staff, these hospitals have not been started.

As of now, the PMC has 43 units across the city, including 15 maternity hospitals, 28 dispensaries/OPDs, and major hospitals like Kamala Nehru, Naidu hospital and the new Rajiv Gandhi hospital at Yerawada. Total availability of beds in these civic hospitals is 750.

In the 2010-11 draft budget, municipal commissioner Mahesh Zagade had proposed a provision of Rs 98.88 crore for upgrading the public healthcare system in the city. Adding 690 beds at various municipal hospitals; developing Naidu hospital into a highly-sophisticated communicable disease control unit; initiating emergency medical services; implementing schemes to promote institutional deliveries to cut down on maternal and new-born death rate are among the prime goals of the civic health department in 2010.

Zagade, while presenting the draft budget last year, had said that ideally, four per cent of the total budgetary provisions should be set aside for public health. According to the current public healthcare standard, one doctor is needed for every 5,000 people, he added.