the issue of 10% reservation policy for the poor at fortis - Hiranandani at standing committee chairman Sandeep Naik meet

corporators have a dead conscience because they fail to stand up for the basic rights of the poor always but NMMC does have corporators whose conscience suddenly woke up after our report. Two such voices were heard at the weekly Standing Committee meet where corporators Namdeo Bhagat and Shivram Patil raised the issue of the 10% reservation policy for poor patients Fortis – Hiranandani hospital. Chairman Sandeep Naik announced a special general body meet to formulate the policy by June 10.

It may be recalled that how NMMC’s very purpose of giving away half of the poor man’s hospital building at Vashi to Hiranandani – Fortis Super Specialty was to make super specialty and additional medial services accessible to the poor. But it’s been months the Hiranandani – Fortis Super Specialty has gone functional and the NMMC’s administration’s revised policy for referring poor patients to the Hiranandani – Fortis Super Specialty Hospital is still not in place. We had met Sandeep Thakur – city’s own lone crusader for public issues.

Sandeep Thakur had said that the delay could be intentional to benefit the private parties. Despite his assurances, Commissioner Vijay Nahata failed to bring the revised proposal in the Standing Committee for second week in a row and with corporators not raising the delay on part of the administration, there was reason to believe that corporators have a dead conscience but two corporators in NMMC whose conscience woke up suddenly after our report. In this Standing Committee meet, corporators Namdeo Bhagat and Shivram Patil raised the issue of the 10% reservation policy for poor patients Fortis – Hiranandani hospital. Shivram Patil said that NMMC has given place to Fortis – Hiranandani but the policy 10% reservation of the poor has not been formulated. He further asked the administration to specify the super specialty facilities that the NMMC would be getting in the Fortis – Hiranandani Hospital.

Namdeo Bhagat attacked the administration for the delay in complete sarcasm stating that the Commissioner and the Chairman get the credit for all the good work being done by NMMC then why does the media blame corporators for follies. He also questioned why the administration has shown haste in beginning the hospital without taking the benefits due to NMMC from the tie-up.

A defensive Commissioner Vijay Nahata who until now was blaming the Standing Committee for not approving the proposal, this time also blamed the general body for it. Realizing that administration was pushing the blame on corporators, Standing Committee Chairman Sandeep Naik tried to salvage some pride of the corporators and said that it was the administration’s responsibility to get the proposal at the earliest.

He gave an assurance that they will formulate a policy in a special general body meeting to be convened for this soon. The Chairman’s announcement however did not stop Namdeo Bhagat who conscience seems to have come alive suddenly as had blamed corporators for sitting silent on the issue but said that he wasn’t one of those corporators who sat as mute spectators. He again lamented that when the delay is from the administration then why are corporators blamed for it. Taunting he said that the Commissioner and Standing Committee Chairman are glorified for the good work then why are corporators blamed for the apathy to public issues.

Standing Committee Chairman again concluded the issue by declaring that they will hold a special general body meeting to discuss the issue. When Shivram Patil urged to give the subject a deadline, Chairman Sandeep Naik assured it would be taken up within two days.

Standing Committee Chairman Sandeep Naik reiterated the same. On the question of a date for the same, the Chairman said that it would be finalized by June 10. It is being alleged it due to the favorism towards Fortis-Hiranandani being showed by former Medical Officer Dr. Sanjay Pattiwar and present medical officer Dr. Paropkari that is one reason for the delay. However, now that the issue has been taken up by corporators, one can hope that finally the poor man gets benefit from Hiranandani-Fortis hospital.