Will use facilities at Wadia hospital, if needed, BMC tells HC

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has informed the Bombay High Court that it will use facilities at Wadia Hospital for treating Covid-19 patients only when required. The civic body has said, as of now, it does not need the facilities at Wadia hospital.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Sambhaji Shinde was last week informed by the BMC that it would take over the Wadia Hospital if required.

"As of now, we do not need the facilities at Wadia Hospital. However, we have already reserved 20 beds for children and 50 for women to treat Covid-19 patients," senior counsel Anil Sakhre, appearing for BMC, told the judges.

"We will take over the hospital if required in future," Sakhre added.

The judges were dealing with a petition filed by Abhinav Bharat Congress – an organisation seeking directives to the BMC to take over the Wadia Hospital (both for women and children) and convert it into a dedicated Covid-19 hospital.

The Wadia Hospital has, however, objected to the demand saying it is already providing facilities for women and children. It also questioned the maintainability of the petition filed by the organisation.

Having considered the submissions, the bench led by CJ Datta said it would first deal with the issue of maintainability of the petition and then proceed with the prayers made therein.

The bench will be taking up the matter for hearing on Tuesday.