MUMBAI: Municipal commissioner Subodh Kumar said on Wednesday that a decision on SevenHills hospital in Andheri will be taken within a month.
"We have been examining the legal possibilities of the case. First, we will try to resolve the matter, and get the hospital to sign the memorandum of understanding (MoU). If that fails, we will initiate proceedings," he said.
The controversy surrounding the hospital began days after it was inaugurated. The 1,500-bed hospital, constructed on 17 acres of civic land close to the international airport, was inaugurated last July by President Pratibha Patil.
But the civic body did not sign the MoU with the hospital following an outcry over a raw deal to the city's poor patients.
The civic body and the hospital management have sorted out five of the six contentious issues, but the issue of free medicines still remains unresolved.
The draft lease agreement mentions that the hospital can charge for medicines. But the tender condition and improvements committee and civic body resolutions state medicines will be provided on the lines of civic hospitals.
"We will try and resolve the matter as soon as we can," said additional municipal commissioner Manisha Mhaiskar. "We have sought legal advice. Once everything is put in place, we can proceed to take action," she added.
Standing committee members, who had given a seven-day deadline to the administration last week, were livid on Wednesday.
"This issue has been delayed for a year. It is not fair that poor patients have to go through so much trouble," said Congress corporator Sameer Desai. July 8, 2010: A special general body meeting was held to discuss the Seven Hills controversy. It was decided to take back the 17 acre land on which the hospital building stands if the management doesn't comply with the demands of the BMC.
September 28, 2010: The state government agreed to implement the BMC's recommended six terms and conditions mentioned in the original memorandum of understanding that would be amended accordingly.
Jan 28, 2011: The BMC gave an ultimatum to the hospital to provide medicines at the same price as municipal hospitals. The civic administration said it would cancel its partnership with the hospital if it failed to adhere by January 31
July 13, 2011: The administration told the standing committee that within a week a call would be taken on the signing of the MoU.
As reported in: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/SevenHills-hospital-decision-in-a-month/articleshow/9302651.cms
"We have been examining the legal possibilities of the case. First, we will try to resolve the matter, and get the hospital to sign the memorandum of understanding (MoU). If that fails, we will initiate proceedings," he said.
The controversy surrounding the hospital began days after it was inaugurated. The 1,500-bed hospital, constructed on 17 acres of civic land close to the international airport, was inaugurated last July by President Pratibha Patil.
But the civic body did not sign the MoU with the hospital following an outcry over a raw deal to the city's poor patients.
The civic body and the hospital management have sorted out five of the six contentious issues, but the issue of free medicines still remains unresolved.
The draft lease agreement mentions that the hospital can charge for medicines. But the tender condition and improvements committee and civic body resolutions state medicines will be provided on the lines of civic hospitals.
"We will try and resolve the matter as soon as we can," said additional municipal commissioner Manisha Mhaiskar. "We have sought legal advice. Once everything is put in place, we can proceed to take action," she added.
Standing committee members, who had given a seven-day deadline to the administration last week, were livid on Wednesday.
"This issue has been delayed for a year. It is not fair that poor patients have to go through so much trouble," said Congress corporator Sameer Desai. July 8, 2010: A special general body meeting was held to discuss the Seven Hills controversy. It was decided to take back the 17 acre land on which the hospital building stands if the management doesn't comply with the demands of the BMC.
September 28, 2010: The state government agreed to implement the BMC's recommended six terms and conditions mentioned in the original memorandum of understanding that would be amended accordingly.
Jan 28, 2011: The BMC gave an ultimatum to the hospital to provide medicines at the same price as municipal hospitals. The civic administration said it would cancel its partnership with the hospital if it failed to adhere by January 31
July 13, 2011: The administration told the standing committee that within a week a call would be taken on the signing of the MoU.
As reported in: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/SevenHills-hospital-decision-in-a-month/articleshow/9302651.cms