Bombay High Court

During a hearing on Thursday before a division bench of the Bombay High Court of Chief Justice Dipankar Dutta and Justice Girish Kulkarni, BMC, through senior counsel Anil Sakhare, submitted a chart detailing the number of beds presently in use and the ones vacant.

Advocate General of Maharashtra, Ashutosh Kumbhakoni, however, submitted a note that showed overall data pertaining to beds available in the state.

“The data shows that there is no need to panic at all. There are so many beds available in government and civic hospitals,” CJ Datta remarked, while perusing the note.

At this, the AG pointed out that there was no shortage of beds. “There is a shortage of beds only for the higher and the higher middle class in the state. These classes are very choosy and want to be admitted only to private hospitals,” he claimed.

“They want hospitals near their house etc. Thus, there is a shortage of beds in private hospitals and not in the ones that we run,” he added.