BMC gets final 2 weeks to take call on Bai Jerbai Wadia kids' hospital funding

The Bombay high court on Monday gave a final chance - another two weeks - to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to inform whether it will reopen the Bai Jerbai Wadia Childrens hospital in Parel. It had shut down after subsidy was stopped and has hence been operating from another venue since 2009, when it closed for renovation.

The high court gave the directions while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL), filed by rights activist Kamayani Mahabal, which alleged that no steps had been taken by the respondents to take up renovation and complete it at the earliest. Even the BMC in its August 2011 reply under the Right to Information Act (RTI) had confirmed that no permission had been sought.

Appearing for the petitioners, advocate Mihir Desai said, "The corporation has to clear its stand and inform whether it would continue providing funds to the hospital." The hospital, as per the agreement with the corporation and the Wadia's who run the hospital, were to pay half of running and maintenance costs of the hospital. However, since 2005-06 the civic body stopped giving funds and thus the hospital was almost in a dilapidated condition and the children were being treated on another premises nearby.

According to her petition, on May 15, 2009 the acting dean issued a circular stating that due to renovation, the services were being shifted to the maternity hospital in the next compound with immediate effect.

Mahabal's petition states that the annual reports of the hospital show that lakhs of children visit it for various ailments and are also treated as indoor patients. She says the functioning of two hospitals from one premises is causing severe hardship and inconvenience as it has lead to overcrowding.