HC: Why BMC hadn't requisitioned Pvt Hospital building costing ₹29 lakhs for COVID-19 patients?

The Bombay high court on Friday said it was surprised that the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital sprawled on nine acres in Parel had 300 to 400 beds with little occupancy and asked why the BMC had not requisitioned it for Covid-19 patients.

“Such a valuable property! Nine acres and eight patients (under ESIS scheme)? What is happening?” a bench of Justices Shahrukh Kathawalla and VG Bisht said.

Referring to a case where the BMC paid a builder Rs 29 lakh to use a building as quarantine facility, Justice Kathawalla said:

“Corporation is paying lakhs to acquire private and incomplete buildings.”

The court heard a petition by Dr Nimish Shah, head of department, radiology, who was relieved from service on June 30. His advocate Girish Godbole said the reply by the hospital referred to a 2015 inquiry that exonerated him.

The judges lambasted the hospital for making allegations based on Shah’s past record when its letter said his services were terminated as the board of management had not met to resolve the government resolution increasing doctors’ retirement age to 60 years.

“ Will you please tell us why you are not calling a meeting?” the bench said. Hospital advocate B D Birajdar said the board members “are not available and not contactable”.

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