BMC to inspect clinics, nursing homes in residential areas
Following the Supreme Court’s judgment that nursing homes and clinics set up in residential areas will have to get a separate entrance, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided that its officials will visit various nursing homes across the city to study how many of them have implemented the rule.
The civic body will come up with a decision on the action to be taken after conducting the study. The inspection work is expected to be carried out next week.
“We will carry out inspection and visit all those clinics and nursing homes operating on the residential premises. We would look at various options for a separate entrance for patients and their family members without causing them or other people any problem. Closing or shutting them would be the last option,” said Chief Engineer Ashok Shintre, Development Plans.
The civic body will also give them feasible suggestions after consulting law officers. The Development Control (DC) rules formulated in 1991 state that nursing homes situated at residential societies should have ‘separate’ entrances. The courts interpreted that ‘separate’ essentially meant “independent.”
“Though I have not seen the copy of the judgment, I believe there should be no problem to people living in the building,” said Municipal Commissioner Jairaj Phatak on Friday at a press conference. “Instead of actively shutting such clinics, the BMC will only take action on the basis of complaints received from the societies,” Phatak had said.
Officials from the building proposal department upheld the decision. “We will act as per the guidelines but only after proper consultation and seeing how this can be implemented,” said Shintre. Civic officials also felt that in times of emergencies clinics and nursing homes operating from residential societies proved to be of immense help.