The Parsi community has demanded that the managing committee of B.D. Petit Parsee General Hospital (PGH) in Cumballa Hill reply to the petition filed by a community member at the Charity Commissioner’s office instead of sending out emotional appeals that the community stands to lose a multi-million-dollar donation.
Meanwhile, a community website on Sunday started a poll asking whether PGH should go ahead with its plan to build a cosmopolitan hospital to support the existing Parsis-only facility.
The community has been at the loggerheads with the managing committee of the 106-year-old PGH that has signed an agreement with Global Health Pvt Ltd, a company belonging to Medanta group, to start a new tertiary care cosmopolitan hospital on the campus of PGH.
Members said Parsi properties should not be handed over at throwaway prices without following legal procedures and studying the market value. The members have raised two objections — the PGH managing committee has no right to enter into such an agreement as the property belongs to the Bombay Parsi Punchayet and the returns that the PGH will get from Medanta are a pittance for a prime property in south Mumbai.
“It would be highly desirable that Homa Petit (president of PGH) files a reply before the Charity Commissioner, as it has not been done for the last seven months on some pretext or another,” Khushru Zaiwala who has filed the petition said.
The community is upset that instead of following the due process, Mr. Petit issued a statement that the philanthropic couple who has pledged $22.5 million donation towards the hospital may withdraw it due to the issues raised by the community members.
Khar resident Zoru Bathena said when he questioned the managing committee about the next best deal they had in hand, there was no convincing answer. “Their intentions are honourable but I feel that the agreement is flawed and the ₹1,000 crore property has been undervalued. How can they hand over the property to someone for 30 years at a merely ₹12 crore a year?”
The plan is that the new hospital building to be run by Medanta will offer subsidised treatment and services to the Parsi patients going to the PGH. “But this arrangement already exists with Breach Candy hospital which offers PGH patients concessional services,” Mr. Bathena said.
Bandra resident Pervez Avari said the managing committee of the PGH has good intentions but they are not applying their mind to the business aspect of the deal. “There are so many hospitals in south Mumbai and a majority of them are struggling to survive with very low occupancy. If another Medanta comes in and struggles to make profits, how is the PGH going to gain anything? What if Medanta decides to leave mid-way?” he asked, adding the deal will only lead to a chaotic situation for the PGH.
“Instead, the committee should come up with other innovative solutions to spruce up the existing hospital which is running with only about 30% to 40% occupancy,” Mr. Avari said.
