Mumbai, March 13: The Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya Shatabdi Hospital in Govandi, run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), will be operated under a Public–Private Partnership (PPP) model.
The hospital will have a total of 580 beds, of which 264 beds will be reserved for BMC patients, who will receive treatment at the existing civic hospital rates.
State cabinet minister Uday Samant provided this information in the Maharashtra Legislative Council on Thursday.
Issue raised in legislative council
During the session, Sachin Ahir raised the issue under Rule 93, questioning the decision to operate the Govandi hospital under the PPP model. He argued that the hospital should be run directly by the BMC.
Responding to the concerns, Samant said the Govandi hospital had been functioning for 43 years with 210 beds, but the new facility under the PPP model will increase the BMC quota by 54 beds. He also stated that a medical college will be built along with the hospital.
Samant assured the House that no patient visiting the hospital will face injustice or discrimination in treatment.
Lease conditions for private operator
The hospital is proposed to be leased to a private operator for 30 years, with the condition that the operator must have at least five to ten years of experience running a specialty or super-specialty hospital.
Concerns over treatment costs
However, the proposal has raised concerns over affordability. As per the tender documents, under the proposed fee structure, patients may have to pay Rs 300 for specialty OPD, Rs 350 for super-specialty OPD, Rs 120 per day for an emergency bed, Rs 300 for dressings, and Rs 250 for sutures—a sharp increase compared to the Rs 10 nominal charge at BMC’s main hospitals.
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Union opposes privatization move
Earlier, the move to outsource hospital services also faced opposition. The Municipal Mazdoor Union has strongly opposed the privatization plan.
Its general secretary, Pradeep Narakar, described the decision as “anti-worker” and warned that it could threaten the job security of long-serving hospital staff.
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