Indian Express 21.07.2010
Govt to probe Seven Hills for broken promises
Express News Service Tags : seven hills hospital case, mumbai Posted: Wed Jul 21 2010, 00:45 hrs
Mumbai:
The announcement came just 16 days after the hospital’s inauguration by President Pratibha Patil. “The government will conduct an inquiry,” Minister of State for Urban Development Bhaskar Jadhav said in the Assembly Tuesday, after the issue had been raised by Vivek Patil (Peasants and Workers Party) and others. Jadhav said the secretary of his department would conduct the probe.
The BMC has been complaining that the Rs 1,100-crore hospital has not reserved beds for the weaker sections. The hospital has at present 300 of 1,500 planned beds; the BMC wants 20 per cent beds across departments and the ICU reserved, and has threatened to withdraw the lease otherwise. Vivek Patil and other legislators, too, raised the 20 per cent demand.
Leaders also want 80 per cent jobs in the hospital, with a workforce that will include 3,000 nurses, reserved for locals. Taking a dig at the Shiv Sena-BJP that controls the BMC, Jadhav said the “flawed” agreement does not have such a provision. Also, the BMC and the management have already signed the final agreement but not the memorandum of understanding, which should have been signed first, he said.
The leaders who raised the issue wanted the government to issue a notice and take the land into possession, but Jadhav said this would be difficult in practical terms. He promised the government would ensure the conditions set down are adhered to and locals get priority in jobs.
Vivek Patil asked whether the hospital would have to reserve 80 per cent jobs for locals. Jadhav said the government from time to time had adopted resolutions that at least 50 per cent locals need to be given priority in the supervisory grade and 80 per cent in other categories; the hospital would have to be responsible for adhering to this. The hospital would also have to reserve 20 per cent of beds across departments for patients referred by the BMC, he said.
Hospital authorities declined to comment. Sources in the hospital said they were committed to reserving 20 per cent beds but were not keen on the “new” clauses introduced while drawing up the MoU. They said the demands, old and new, are under discussion with the BMC.
