While the BMC is in the process of deciding on the whether to have the blood bank on the Sion hospital premises, the medical and paramedical staff and the NGO has decided to go on hunger strike if the corporation decides to grant space to the blood bank.
The Sion hospital medical and paramedical staff, who have been fighting against the metro blood bank project in the hospital premises, have now found support from Medha Patkar and her NGO.
While the BMC is in the process of deciding on the whether to have the blood bank on the Sion hospital premises, the medical and paramedical staff and the NGO has decided to go on hunger strike if the corporation decides to grant space to the blood bank.
The staff has also decided to file a public interest litigation (PIL) if the BMC agrees to use the space for the blood bank. The members of the NGO had visited the hospital to get a first hand account of the situation.
“Sion hospital is one of the busiest hospitals, the corporation can not decide to displace the doctors living here and give the space to a blood bank. The hospital expansion plan needs to given priority. We will go for hunger strike if the corporation goes ahead with it,” said Simpreet Singh, an associate of Medha Patkar.
On February 3, a five member committee of doctors from the hospital consisting of head of departments from community medicine, neurosurgery, the warden of student hostel had met on the issue. In its report to the dean and the municipal commissioner, they have requested to not give land for the blood bank.
The staff feel the BMC has enough funds and is capable of setting up a blood bank itself and does not need central funds, said Sunil Chitnis, president of the union. “There is no need to use the remaining FSI of the hospital for such a centre. It can be used instead for the hospital’s renovation,” said Chitnis.
A doctor from the hospital said, “None of the metro blood banks in the country are built inside a hospital’s premises. Also presently the resident doctors and students don’t have space to live. We will challenge the decision in court of the corporation goes ahead with it.”
The corporation is pressurised by the state as it has to meet the March 31 deadline or it will lose the blood bank to Hyderabad.
“The metro blood bank requires only 16 % of the permissible floor space index (FSI) for the Sion Hospital. The metro blood bank project will not come in the way of the hospital’s expansion,” said Dr SS Kudalkar in charge of the project for the BMC.
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