PANJIM, AUG 10
Bombay High Court at Goa today observed that state government should shift facilities of Asilo hospital from existing premises to new building on immediate bases without waiting for the Public Private Partnership (PPP) to be worked out.
The division bench comprising of Justice A S Oka and Justice F M Reis suggested that the government should go ahead with the functioning of the hospital as there is availability of staff and medical facilities.
“What is point in waiting for PPP, when you have staff and the machineries? Start the initial work and then go ahead with PPP,” Justice A S Oka said.
The Court also stated that there is no firm stand from government over commissioning of the hospital and it is also not sure whether it will operational on the given date.
The Court was hearing a petition by Prakash Sardessai which has been pending before the High Court since last three years. The petition has raised the issue of quality of public health care and conditions of the government-run health institutions.
The court’s observation came after amicus curiae Saresh Lotlikar pointed out that as per the affidavits filed by the state government in 2007 and 2008 it is been said that the staff for the functioning of the hospital is already recruited.
“In 2009 reply, they had said that the machineries are being upgraded. If so, then why till date the government is not contemplating to start off the hospital,” he said.
Advocate General Subodh Kantak stated that the government is waiting to appoint a consultant to decide on PPP mode for the functioning of the hospital.
“If we go ahead with the hospital without proper facelift then several questions would be raised by public,” he said. However, he said that OPD and morgue will be soon shifted to the new building.
The government last month had assured Court that the hospital will begin its functioning by March 2011.
Amicus curiae stated that since 2008 the government is been shifting the date and it is also not ready to commission the hospital in a phased manner.
The government at the very beginning had said that the hospital will function by end of 2008. However, through an affidavit filed in 2010 it stated that the hospital will be commissioned in March –April, this year. After it failed to commission the hospital as promised, the state government had told the Court in March that the hospital would be commissioned in a phased manner. The matter would be now heard on August 12.
The Bhartiya Janata Party had demanded that the new premises be put to use immediately as the existing building is crumbling. Health Minister Vishwajit Rane had initially refused to shift the hospital pending finalisation of PPP agreement.
However, after much debate Chief Minister Digambar Kamat had assured on the floor of the house to shift OPD and Morgue to the building.
