Till Friday, BMC won't take action to evict BSES hospital in Andheri

In a temporary relief to BSES municipal general hospital run by the Brahmakumari trust in Andheri, the BMC on Tuesday informed the court that it would, till Friday, not act on the eviction notice issued to the hospital.

A division bench of Justices Anoop Mohta and Amjad Sayyed directed the corporation to file their reply to the petition moved by the hospital after its counsel, SU Kamdar assured the court that no action would be taken until then.

The hospital, which is constructed on BMC land, was issued an eviction notice by the corporation recently for allegedly violating several conditions of the triparte agreement.

The notice, dated July 5, 2014, stated that the 120-bedded hospital should be vacated within two weeks as the BMC plans to shut it down over the alleged violation of structural norms and denial of services to poor patients.

In a letter dated July 11, 2014, the trust, which has been managing the hospital since 2002, has appealed for a personal hearing with the BMC.

In its defense, the hospital stated that it treats 200 patients daily, of which 160 in-house and outpatient department patients are treated for free, as per the charity commissioner's requirements.

The letter issued by the BMC to the hospital reads that the unauthorised alterations had been carried out in the building, to which the chief fire officer has strongly objected and that passages of staircases have been blocked, which could be a fire hazard. Also, raising the height of the building up to seven floors amount to FSI violations. Further, audited accounts have not been submitted to the BMC, the letter alleged.