The Bombay high court has set a deadline of March 16 for the state government to decide on a proposal sent by Bai Jerbai Wadia Children's Hospital seeking permission from the government to set up a pediatric organ transplant centre. A division bench of chief justice Mohit Shah and justice BP Colabawala said: "If by then the government does not decide on the application, then the principal secretary of department of medical education and research will have to personally remain present in court."
The Bombay high court has set a deadline of March 16 for the state government to decide on a proposal sent by Bai Jerbai Wadia Children's Hospital seeking permission from the government to set up a pediatric organ transplant centre. A division bench of chief justice Mohit Shah and justice BP Colabawala said: "If by then the government does not decide on the application, then the principal secretary of department of medical education and research will have to personally remain present in court."
The hospital has sent a proposal to the government on July 31, 2014 saying that if the centre is approved, then it will be one of its kind in the world. The government, however, has not yet taken any decision on the application.
The hospital also filed an affidavit informing the court that work on repairing/reconstructing and maintaining of the hospital has begun and shall be completed by March 31, 2016. The group has earmarked an amount of Rs27.9 crore for the repairs. Furthermore, the hospital has been receiving several awards, and once the new building is ready, it will be able to house 150 beds in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and 24 beds in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. The hospital, located in Parel, is operating from neighbouring premises since 2009, when it was closed for renovation.
Activist Kamayani Mahabal has moved the high court alleging that no steps have been taken by the authorities to take up the renovation work and complete it at the earliest.
As per the agreement between the corporation and the Wadias, both parties were to pay an equal amount to run and maintain the hospital. However, since 2005-06, the civic body has stopped giving the funds and thus the hospital was almost in a dilapidated condition.
As per the 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. The hospital has 34 paramedical, 123 medical and around 120 menial staff.
Mahabal's petition states that the hospital is run exclusively for children and its annual reports show that hundreds of children visit it for various ailments. They are also treated as indoor patients. She says the functioning of two hospitals from one premise is causing severe hardship and inconvenience as it has led to overcrowding.
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