On a recent visit to the Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) I was appalled to see the lobbies and corridors of that hospital packed with patients and their family members. Many were squatting on the floors and some even sat on stretchers, for want of space. I later read in a newspaper that "India needs an additional 1.3 billion sq ft of healthcare space” and a report on the Indian healthcare system showed that "India has one of the lowest bed-to-population ratios in the world.” This situation was evident at the overcrowded TMC.
A casual visit to the Siddharth College in the Fort area took me past the Parsi Lying-In Hospital (PLIH). I had read and heard much about this Hospital, but seeing it for the first time in a dilapidated condition was heart-wrenching. Such a magnificent structure built in the late 19th century with an intricate façade has been defunct for the past three decades.
A prominent notice displayed at the site reads: "This property belongs to the trustees of the Parsi Punchayet Funds and Properties Bombay” (BPP). I understand that there is a management committee, presumably established to manage the PLIH, but in the absence of any "hospital” for the last three decades, this committee could very well be deemed defunct.
It is further ascertained from the public domain that the annual liability accruing to the BPP "towards collector’s rent and other outgoings is upward of Rs 3.5 crores” — an amount the BPP can ill afford under the existing declared fiscal crisis. It is also known that efforts to sub-lease the PLIH premises for healthcare have been opposed. As a Grade 2B heritage structure, it cannot be pulled down either. Whilst there is a possibility of monetizing this property as advised by some of our community’s legal luminaries, past experience is indicative of protracted legal encounters with those opposed to such a move.
While the nation is crying out for additional healthcare space the community has a property admeasuring approximately 17,000 sq ft, albeit in a decrepit condition. In keeping with the community’s greatest trait, charity, and to ensure a just and fair solution to the PLIH crisis, I request the trustees and custodians of this institution to consider donating the property to the TMC. True, there will be many antagonists from within the community who will oppose this move, but when the cause is noble, righteousness will prevail.
To ensure that this proposal would be acceptable to the beneficiaries, I had a personal and informal dialog with the director of the TMC, Dr R. A. Badwe. He was delighted to hear this as they are looking for premises in South Bombay to establish a hub for TMC.
I have, in my individual capacity, conceptualized this proposal with good thoughts, articulated it with good words and pray that it is concluded with good deeds, in keeping with the Zoroastrian credo. Cmde MEDIOMA BHADA (retd)
mrbhada@gmail.com