Despite objections raised by corporators, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has once again settled for a 12.5 per cent discount to be given by a chemist to patients at its KEM Hospital. The civic body has rented the chemist shop at the hospital to the Parel Chemist at a monthly charge of Rs 31 lakh.
Corporators had demanded that the BMC should go for bids inviting maximum discount on medicines for the benefit of poor patients. However, there was no change in tender conditions, which stated to provide 12.5 per cent discount to patients on medicines.
The civic body has given the chemist shop at KEM Hospital on rent for a period of five years. The Parel Chemists have emerged as the highest bidder in the e-tenders invited for this purpose. It beat other bidders like Lokmanya Hospital Medical Store, Sanyog Enterprises, Shraddha Medical and General Stores, Sushrut Chemists and the Colabe Central Co-op. Consumers Stores.
For the first year, the Parel Chemists have quoted Rs 23.56 lakh as royalty, Rs 1.36 lakh as lease rent and Rs 7.85 lakh for the aid of poor patients. The lease rent will be increased every year.
Corporators have alleged that tenders’ terms and conditions have been twisted to favour handful of big medical shops. Congress corporator Pravin Chheda said, “The BMC should have invited bids which would give maximum discount to patients on medicines. The chemists at AAIMS hospitals in Delhi, Raipur, Rishikesh, PGI Chandigarh offer high discounts of above 50 per cent to patients on medicines. On the same lines, patients in Mumbai should be given this benefit.”
According to the corporators, there have also been complaints of shortage of medicines in civic hospitals. As a result, the families of patients being treated there have to buy the medicines required from private chemists outside the hospitals. Most of those treated at municipal hospitals are from the lower income group, causing them lot of inconvenience.
