Maternity homes: BMC goes private…..Sandeep Ashar
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is planning to hand over three recently constructed premises meant for maternity homes and health centres to private parties.
The plots — two located at Kandivili and one at Malad — were developed and handed over to the BMC under accommodation reservation, where the land owner of the plot reserved for a purpose, develops the amenity and hands it over to the BMC and gets to use the rest of the plot.
The proposal, along with privatisation of a Borivili-based post partum centre funded under a World Bank project, will be discussed at the BMC’s Improvements Committee meeting on Wednesday. The post partum centre is among the nine structures built with the funds of the Indian Population Project, sponsored by the World Bank.
The proposal, along with privatisation of a Borivili-based post partum centre funded under a World Bank project, will be discussed at the BMC’s Improvements Committee meeting on Wednesday. The post partum centre is among the nine structures built with the funds of the Indian Population Project, sponsored by the World Bank.
The civic health department has justified privatisation stating that it lacked the manpower and financial resources to run the facility. The plots will be given to private parties for a 30-year renewable lease on an annual rent of Re1 per sq mt. At least 25 per cent of all the patients will have to be charged at municipal rates, while the rest could be charged a higher fee for treatment.
Previous attempts at privatising a medical facility have met with objections from people. It is, however, unlikely that the Improvements Committee would reject the proposals. Only last month, it okayed a proposal to parcel off a maternity homes plot at Marol in Andheri.