CAG slams BMC over Bhagwati Hospital revamp

Mumbai: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), in an inspection report, has recently criticised the civic-run Bhagwati Hospital for failing to utilise its budget efficiently despite its revamp being sanctioned way back in 2009. The CAG has also slammed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) as the project has been proceeding at a snail’s pace.

The inspection report reads, “There is no construction noted of main hospital building even after a lapse of 10 years from approval of Municipal Commissioner resulted into non-functioning of surgery, obstetrics gynecology, ortho, pediatrics, ENT, ophthalmic, trauma intensive care unit and casualty departments in Bhagwati Hospital (sic).”

The report further reads, “This resulted in less attendance and admission of patients in Bhagwati Hospital and the people of surrounding areas are deprived from the benefit of [a] local hospital. As a result, the revenue of the department had also reduced gradually.”

The project to expand the 300-bed Bhagwati Hospital into a 1,000-bed interventional, multi-disciplinary, tertiary-care hospital was approved in 2009 and scheduled to be completed in two phases. While the hospital’s staff and patients of were shifted to the nearby civic-run Shatabdi Hospital in 2013, the project is still far from completion. In fact, the work on the main building of the hospital is yet to begin. The entire revamp is estimated to cost Rs 500 crore.

When informed about the development, Sena corporator Amey Ghole, who heads the civic body’s health committee, said, “I need to read the report and check what are the discrepancies. Once I get to know them, I will personally monitor the situation and get things done.”