State has funds for Statues, not for Public Health at Wadia Hospital: Bombay HC pulls up Maharashtra Government

The Bombay High Court on Thursday pulled up the Maharashtra government for delaying the grant of financial help to Wadia Hospitals for Women and Children. In doing so, it took critical not that government appeared to have funds for statues of great leaders including Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, but not for public health..A Division Bench of Justices SC Dharmadhikari and RI Chagla was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by NGO Association of Aiding Justice seeking release of grants from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the State Government to help Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children and Nowrosjee Wadia Maternity Hospital..“The government wants to build Dr. Ambedkar's statue taller than the Sardar Patel statue. For all this money is there, but not for those people whom Dr. Ambedkar represented all his life. These people are left to die due to lack of medical aid…do people require medical aid or statues to rid themselves of ailments and diseases?”Justice SC Dharmadhikari (Bombay High Court).Justice Dharmadhikari further commented, “We do not pass orders for TRP, but they increase TRP ratings…”.The Court was referring to approval by State Cabinet of Wednesday to the proposal to raise the height of the proposed statue of Dr. BR Ambedkar in Mumbai by 100 feet, for which it cleared a revised expenditure of Rs 1089.95 crore..The Wadia Maternity hospital receives a grant from the Maharashtra Government and the children's hospital receives funds from BMC. During the last month hearing on December 9, the State had submitted that it had released a sum of Rs. 9 Crore out of assured amount of Rs. 28 Crore and would revert on the release of the remaining amount. .Special Counsel Girish Godbole and Government Pleader PP Kakade for the State Government informed the Court on Thursday that the State Finance Department has sanctioned Rs. 24 crore from the contingency fund to Public Health department. The amount will be released to the Wadia Maternity Hospital within three weeks, Godbole submitted. Further he informed that there will be more clarity on the same by next Tuesday. .Refusing to enter into controversy at that stage, the Court had asked State to file reply as to how much amount it will release after necessary sanction is obtained in the Winter Session of the Legislative Assembly..The Court, however, expressed displeasure on Thursday and said that the State Should release the grant within twenty-four hours by Friday.."We thought there are new faces at the political helm, then all these matters won't come to court. This does not auger well. Public health has never been priority for the governments… It seems the leaders are busy inaugurating bridges that are yet to be constructed."Bombay High Court.As per reports, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had ordered setting up of a committee to investigate alleged irregularities at Wadia hospital and ordered state government to transfer Rs. 24 crore to the hospital to resume suspended services..Justice Dharmadhikari also observed that in Mumbai, which is commercial capital of the country, the poor section of the society is being refused admission in the charitable hospital..Justice Dharmadhikari went on to ask respondent State Government,“How can women and children be refused admission to a hospital? Children are dying and the state machinery is not doing anything in states such as Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat. Should we have same situation in Maharashtra?”.The Court pointed out that poor patients cannot afford and access private hospitals and require urgent medical attention. In this situation, the state needs to release funds by the next day, and not just make statements about it being sanctioned. Failing this, the Division Bench informed that it would have to summon officers including Principal Secretary before it..Advocate Jamshed Mistry appeared for PIL petitioner. The Dean of Wadia Maternity Hospital was represented by Senior Counsel Rafiq Dada..Advocate SS Pakale for BMC has informed the Court that it will release Rs. 14 Crore for Hospital for Children on Thursday. After the Division Bench asked the State Government to inform it by when the funds sanctioned will be released, it posted the matter for further hearing on Friday.