The Times of India    28.08.2012

Two hospitals challenge NMMC in court after licence cancellation

Over a month after the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation ( NMMC) slapped notices to 10 hospitals for flouting norms and subsequently cancelled their licenses, two of them — Fortis Hiranandani Hospital (Vashi) and Manak Hospital — have filed separate petitions challenging the corporation’s move.

The NMMC had cancelled the registration of Fortis Hiranandani for adding eight more beds above the permitted 150. Last month, the Bombay Hight Court had, however, rapped the NMMC for issuing the order for closure of the hospital calling it a ‘despotic’.

“Since the matter is sub judice there is nothing much that we can say except for that the High Court hearing last month was favourable for us. We shall continue to fight against the NMMC’s move in Court,” said an Fortis Hiranandani executive.

Meanwhile, the court is yet to hear the plea of the 33-bed Manak Hospital in Nerul, whose licence was cancelled on similar grounds.

Following a surprise check in June, the NMMC had cancelled the licenses of 10 Hospitals on for not complying with the New Bombay Nursing Home registration Act.

“As per the Act, there are certain rules that all the hospitals must adhere to, such as having a certain number of beds in a given area, pollution control licenses and nursing staff must be registered with the Maharashtra Council of Nursing. If of 10 given requisites, more than three are not followed then the hospitals stand to lose their licenses,” said Raju Shinde, health committee chairperson of the NMMC. “Of the ten hospitals who were initially sent the notices, eight have already started making the necessary amends,” Shinde added.