Global Hospital accused of skipping reserved beds, settling Rs 100-crore loss for a fraction
Mumbai hospital accused of violating a 2012 condition to reserve beds for poor patients, as complainant alleges officials are settling a Rs 100-crore loss for a fraction of that sum.
Glenneagles Global Hospital in Mumbai's Parel area was granted extra floor space index (FSI) in 2012 on condition that 15 percent of its total beds be reserved for economically weaker patients referred by the municipal corporation. It is alleged that this condition has been systematically violated for the past 14 years.
The complaint states that the Mumbai municipal corporation has suffered a financial loss of around Rs 100 to 150 crore as a result. Despite this, an attempt is under way to settle the matter with the hospital administration for just Rs 15 to 20 crore, according to a complaint made to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the municipal commissioner.
The issue was raised by advocate Bhimesh Mutula, state secretary of the Mumbai Suburban District Monitoring and Grievance Redressal Committee for the Ayushman Bharat scheme. He has demanded that no new agreement be signed with the hospital until the old dues are settled. According to information received, Global Hospital was granted about 9,357 square metres of extra construction area in 2012, in exchange for which the condition of reserving 15 percent of beds was imposed.
Mutula said that not just the hospital administration but also the role of municipal officers who repeatedly granted permissions despite seeing the rules being violated is under a cloud of suspicion. He has demanded that the case be handed over to the Economic Offences Wing if necessary, and has warned that if the administration tries to strike a new agreement on its own, an intense protest agitation will be carried out.
Questions are being raised over how many ordinary patients actually benefited from these reserved beds since 2012, and how many patients received treatment at subsidised rates on the municipal corporation's recommendation. Mutula has demanded a forensic audit of the entire period to investigate the matter in depth.
Mutula alleged that on one hand the municipal treasury and poor patients have suffered a loss running into crores of rupees, while on the other, preparations are under way to settle the matter for a small amount and give those involved a clean chit. He said this amounts to a direct betrayal of public interest and taxpayers' money.
