Bhagwati Hospital in Borivali continues to remain closed despite the completion of its building, as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) explores appointing a charitable trust to operate the facility. The proposed arrangement comes after prolonged resistance to running the hospital under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, which had delayed its operational launch.
The civic body is now moving towards a different management structure, but the tendering process and other administrative procedures are yet to be completed. As a result, authorities have not announced a date for the hospital to begin treating patients.
“Tenders are floated for the appointment of the trust, and further process will also be conducted at the earliest,” said CMO Dr Nitiraj Mane.
Residents Raise Concerns Over Delays
The continued closure has drawn criticism from residents, who have questioned why construction began before the hospital’s operational framework was finalised. They have also warned that leaving the building unused could lead to deterioration, creating additional expenditure on maintenance and repairs before services can begin.
Harshita Ranka, a Borivali resident, said, “This is sheer lack of vision. How did the authorities start construction of the new hospital building before fixing who will run it? They have wasted so many resources and public money. The infrastructure that stands unused isn’t maintained because it’s not being used at the moment. By the time it is used, some or other paint and repair work will already be waiting. What’s the use of money if it is unnecessarily spent twice on a specific thing?”
Healthcare Services Still Awaited
The hospital was expected to improve access to public healthcare in Mumbai’s western suburbs and ease the workload of other civic-run facilities. However, the delay has left residents of Borivli and Dahisar waiting for a nearby alternative.
Borivli resident Hemant Sardesai said, “The facility was expected to strengthen healthcare infrastructure in the western suburbs and reduce the burden on other public hospitals. But even though the building structure was completed several months ago, the hospital hasn’t started due to bureaucratic delays in decision-making. The nearest civic-run hospital for anyone living in Borivli and Dahisar is Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivli,” said Borivli resident Hemant Sardesai.
The proposed charitable-trust model could help resolve the deadlock, but the hospital’s opening remains dependent on completing the tender and administrative formalities.
Source: Mid-day
