Mumbai, January 19: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has announced that nursing homes in Mumbai will not be renewed unless they possess a change of user certificate. Hearing these directions, 1500 odd nursing homes in Mumbai threatened to monitor a one day strike on February 1.
Maternity and nursing homes have also threatened to go an indefinite strike from February 15.
As per law there should be a separate entry/exit for nursing homes but most of the nursing homes built in the residential buildings do not follow this rule. A government resolution (GR) was issued by the state on July 30, 2010 on the condition that nursing homes with no separate staircase will operate on the condition that they will change the user certificate. Subsequently BMC will renew the registration after it makes sure that residents are not affected.
Acquiring this renewal process is not as easy for the nursing homes as they need to submit several documents including the building’s original plan and the society’s no-objection certificate.
March 31, 2011, is the last date for the renewal process. BMC has issued a circular in this regard to all the nursing homes that they should not renew the registration in case they do not have the required documents.
Dr Rajeev Walawalkar, president of Association of Medical Consultants (AMC) said that nursing homes plays a crucial part and are extremely desirable for controlling city’s health and BMC has to look for some other options also otherwise another form of corruption will take place.
If BMC gets going tough then these nursing homes have no other option but to shut down. Earlier the BMC was just asking for the undertaking from the nursing home that the BMC would not be held responsible if a residential society moves court but now suddenly it is asking for the change of user certificate from the nursing homes for renewing the registration, informed Dr Sudhir Naik, secretary of AMC.
Walawalkar further said that BMC needs to look upon this issue once again because nobody likes to operate under an illegal tag.
Manisha Mhaiskar, additional municipal commissioner said that BMC also wants to avoid the strike and loss of nursing homes.
DC rules should be amended so that all the nursing homes get protected, proposed by the AMC. But GT Ambe, executive health officer of the BMC said that any amendment in the DC rules means contempt of court. So there is no other option available for the nursing homes but to bring the change of user certificate to get the registration renewed.
–Agencies–