Mumbai: Super speciality MPT Hospital in Wadala stands idle despite completion, denying citizens high-quality healthcare

Mumbai: Thousands of citizens, including Mumbai Port Trust employees, are deprived of high quality healthcare even though the phase 1 of super speciality MPT Hospital in Wadala is complete.

Sources said the lackadaisical attitude of certain officials has meant that people can’t seek treatment here and have to go to private hospitals. The MPT Hospital is equipped with a dialysis machine and an operation theatre.

Laxity on part of the Bombay Port Trust management

Hrridaysh Deshpande, the director of Ajeenkya DY Patil group, which undertook the project, said they were allotted a tender in October 2019 to build the hospital on public-private partnership (PPP) but the hospital can’t be put into use due to laxity on part of the Bombay Port Trust management. 

He said, “We have completed the work but are clueless as to why it’s not operational. All terms and conditions have been followed by us and so far ₹150 crore has been spent. From cancer to heart disease, the system has been developed to treat all kinds of advanced diseases. However, the infrastructure is lying unused. Therefore, 75,000 Port Trust employees are deprived of these facilities.”

In 2019 Port Trust decided to overhaul its 150-bed hospital

In 2019, the Port Trust decided to overhaul its 150-bed hospital. Under the PPP model, the tender was bagged by the Ajeenkya DY Patil group in October 2019. As per plan, the existing hospital was turned into a 600-bed facility and work was to be undertaken in two phases. The first phase comprised a 300-bed set-up. 

R Santhanam, the president of Indian Major Ports and the Dock Officers’ Association, said, “I am clueless about what’s happening between the BPT management and private players, which is ultimately affecting the employees. Moreover, BPT is spending over ₹20 crore per month, which can be saved if the hospital is made functional.” Despite repeated calls and messages, BPT chairman Rajiv Jalota was unavailable for comment on the issue.