Due to some unfortunate circumstances, Asha Parekh hospital will completely shut down from September 30 onwards. The actress says she hopes to restart it as soon as possible. This is the second time in a decade that the BCJ Hospital in Santacruz, also known as the Asha Parekh Hospital will shut down. Earlier this Wednesday, the last four doctors were asked to leave the hospital by the end of this week, a request they had turned down a month ago. Previously, the hospital was shut on November 2007 and April 2009.
Actress Asha Parekh is one of the trustees of the hospital and in conversation with a leading daily said, "The hospital is a part of my life, a part of my late mother’s dream. My attempt has always been and will be to run a non-profit hospital service for underprivileged people who can’t afford expensive treatment in the city." She further talked about the negotiations with Shalby Hospitals and she is quietly optimistic about hospital getting started within 15-20 days.
Right now it's the casualty department which is functioning but even that will be closed down by September 30. These instructions were executed to employees in a meeting held on Tuesday that included Parekh as well. Even prior notices were proposed to the four Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) asking them to leave in the next three days, but they did not accept it, according to Dr. Amit Shukla, CMO. The same notices had also been served to them a month ago, which they had rejected.
''The employees have complained to the labour commissioner in a three-page letter, requesting him to save the hospital. The vendors and some of the consultants have also not got their dues from the hospital. As the housekeeping staff has been removed, the hospital staff is also facing problems of hygiene and cleanliness,'' said Nupur Chaudhary, medico-social worker.
Even the employees are unhappy with the namesake promises. Billing executive Ekta Gosavi told Mumbai Mirror, "They are not giving us a promise in writing that the dues will be cleared."
Pathology staffer Vishakha Sakre said, "We want an assurance that before any new agreement is signed with another group, the management should clear our dues. Our jobs need to be secured without any conditions." A nurse Mitali Khedekar, said, "They are not even cleaning the drinking water tank. Slabs are falling down. Electric short circuit is common."
The staff is set to take their complaint to the health ministry as well as BMC and labour ministry.