3 NMMC hospitals likely to be inaugurated on Maharashtra Day

The three Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) hospitals in Airoli, Nerul and CBD Belapur that have been under construction for the past six years could be inaugurated on May 1.

“Efforts are on to get the hospitals functional from May 1. Recruitments and other aspects are nearing completion and an official announcement could be made soon,” an NMMC official said.

With several inauguration dates being announced in the past, the residents are not really sure when the hospitals will actually be functional.

Over Rs100 crore of the NMMC’s budget of Rs2,000 crore are spent on healthcare. However, residents still do not get necessary health services.

In 2009, the NMMC decided on constructing new state-of-the-art 100-bed hospitals in Airoli and Nerul in place of the existing mother and child hospitals and one more 50-bed hospital in CBD Belapur.

Work on the three hospitals began before the Lok Sabha elections, with the assurance that they would be ready by 2010.

Two years ago, just before the Lok Sabha and assembly elections, outpatient department services were started. The opposition said it was done by the ruling NCP to score political points. The NCP had then stated that the hospitals will be functional soon, which did not happen.

After the construction was completed last year, the administration realised that it had not laid the gas pipeline, further delaying the opening by a year.

Following regular attacks by the opposition and the demand of the people, the administration started mother and child services at Airoli and Nerul.