Mumbai: In view of the rapid increase in the number of Corona patients in the city. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) spent Rs 53 crore for setting up two Covid-19 hospitals with 2,118 bed capacity. The two hospitals with all the required facilities were set up in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), it was revealed in a reply sought by Right To Information (RTI) activist Anil Galgali.
The MMRDA in its reply to the question raised by Galgali has said that it has spent Rs. 53 crore on account of constructing the Covid hospital in BKC. With capacity of 2,118 beds with other required facility for treating corona positive patients. According to the information given by the MMRDA, each bed costs at Rs 2.5 lakh.
Galgali had sought various information about the hospital in phase 1 and phase 2 constructed for Covid-19 treatment by the MMRDA administration. As per the information given, a total of Rs. 53 crore has been spent on this purpose. In the first phase, Rs 14.21 crore was spent on civil and electrical works while Rs 21.55 crore have been spent in the second phase.
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The total number of beds installed in both stages is 2,118. About Rs 5.64 crore was spent in the first phase, whereas Rs 5.26 Cr were spent on equipment and other material and Rs 12.06 Crore were spent in the second phase. Each bed is equipped with oxygen supply equipment. The hospital has dialysis, oxygen and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) facility.
The MMRDA and Maharashtra government claim that the procurement, work and services for Covid-19 treatment facility were made in accordance with the government’s proposal of the Department of Industry, Energy and Labour of Maharashtra as well as the special conditions of the Finance Department of the Central Government and the provisions for emergency procurement.
Though Galgali had not mentioned about any corruption taking place in setting up the hospital but he demanded Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and MMRDA to keep transparency when it comes for spending huge amounts for COVID care.
“Even if the tenders were not floated, the MMRDA needs to keep all the expenditure information updated and uploaded on its website, so that anyone can easily inspect and avail it,” said Galgal.- By Vikas Nag
