Mumbai: Members of the Standing Committee meeting slammed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) administration over issues like shortage of medicines in the civic-run hospitals due to delay in supply of medicines by contractors and the suicide of a resident doctor associated with BYL Nair Hospital.
BJP Abhijeet Samant, corporator and Rais Shaikh, Samajwadi Party (SP) group leader strongly raised the issue of medicine shortages in the civic run hospitals. They questioned if the BMC has a separate budget of Rs 500 crore for health department, why people are not getting free medicines at the hospitals. Rais Shaikh said, “We need assurance that action will be taken against the contractors for delaying the supply of medicines.
As monsoons are just a few days away, people fall prey to various diseases and in such situation, civic-run hospitals are only options for many people as they can’t afford to go to private hospitals. Since medicines are running out of stocks in hospitals, people have to a lot spent for outside medicines.” On the suicide issue of resident doctor, Samant demanded strict action against the dean.
“I demand the termination of the dean. In spite of repeated complaints by the deceased, why did the dean not take any action. If the dean would have looked into the matter seriously, the girl’s life would have been saved,” said Abhijeet Samant, BJP corporator.
At present, there is a large scarcity of medicines in civic-run hospitals. So most patients have to buy expensive drugs from private medical shops. Therefore, the purpose of the BMC to ensure free and good health for Mumbaikars are not served.