ALL SET TO GET A NEW LOOK
Cooper Hosp will soon be reconstructed ………Clara Lewis I TNN
Mumbai: Dr R N Cooper Hospital at Juhu will finally be reconstructed. The BMC, that was directed by the Bombay high court to redevelop the hospital at its own cost, will invite tenders next week for the construction of the new hospital.
“The 520-bed teaching hospital is estimated to cost Rs 250 crore and will be constructed over three years,’’said civic officials. With this, the suburbs will have a hospital on par in terms of equipment with the three civic teaching hospitals in the island city—KEM, Nair and Sion. Owing to crumbling infrastructure, the BMC for more than five years, had drastically reduced the medical services offered at the Cooper Hospital. The standing committee last week approved a 100-seat medical college for the hospital.
Three years ago, when it decided to redevelop the hospital through the privatisation route, it faced opposition from the Juhu Vile Parle Development Scheme Residents’ Association. The land, reserved for a hospital, originally belonged to the Maharashtra Housing Area Development Authority (Mhada) and was handed to the association as part of the JVPD scheme. Later, the association handed over the land to the BMC to construct and run a municipal hospital. The association demanded the Juhu market and a local garden in return for the hospital land. The matter finally went to court which decreed that the BMC was financially strong to construct the hospital without privatisation.