Make 100-bed Kausa hospital operational soon: HC asks Thane civic body

Mumbai: Concerned about the delay in the construction of a 100-bed municipal hospital in Mumbra's Kausa, Thane district, Maharashtra, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday expressed its desire to see the hospital become operational soon to provide affordable medical facilities to the local population. 

The Municipal Corporation of Thane had conceived a 100-bed hospital at Kausa, Mumbra in 2008 but to date neither construction of the hospital is complete nor has it become functional.

Hearing a PIL, Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Arif S Doctor expressed their apprehension regarding the lack of medical facilities for the residents of Kausa as the proposed 100-bed hospital was intended to provide them with the necessary access to quality healthcare services.

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According to an Indian Express report, a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) filed by the NGO Association for Protection of Civil Rights highlighted that the Thane Municipal Corporation had reserved a 41,800 sq m plot for the hospital, but despite a work order issued in August 2014, the construction was delayed, leading to increased costs. The PIL emphasized the dense population in the area and the lack of adequate health facilities, with only one public health centre located 12 km away in Kalwa.

To address the situation, the High Court in its previous hearing appointed a three-member committee to visit the site and assess the actual status. The committee's report indicated that the private operator, as per the tender document, was obligated to provide trained staff, establish various departments, procure necessary medical equipment, and run the hospital, which had not been fulfilled.

The committee highlighted the need for proper healthcare facilities in the area, as evident from the large number of outpatients served by the public health centre. The court emphasized the importance of making the services affordable for the residents, especially those from lower and middle-income groups.

Senior advocate Yusuf Muchhala, representing the petitioner, argued that the majority of people in the surrounding areas belonged to middle or lower-income groups, and their right to affordable medical health was crucial. He emphasized the need for the hospital, conceptualized in 2008, to become functional. Muchhala also highlighted the importance of providing affordable medical assistance for the population below the poverty line, urging control over the charges.

The bench, however, said that it cannot carve out a scheme specific to the hospital as it has to be unilaterally applied across all hospitals in the state.

In a subsequent hearing, the court directed the TMC to submit a detailed affidavit outlining the management plan for the hospital, emphasizing its concern for affordable medical aid for the local population.  The court instructed the TMC to disclose steps taken to provide affordable medical care services and set a deadline for the hospital to become operational. 

“We are concerned about the poor. It is just about having a good building but something needs to be served to the poor. We will dispose of the PIL with suitable directions on the next date of hearing and we want this hospital to come up and be functional early,” the bench said. 

The next hearing is scheduled for December 8, during which the court is expected to pass further directions.

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