State appoints three IAS officers to run Sion, Nair, KEM hospitals

The State government has appointed three Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers to the civic-run Sion, Nair and KEM hospitals for better management and coordination in tackling the novel coronavirus pandemic.

This brings the number of IAS officers who are on deputation with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to six.

Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta has also appointed Sushil Khodvekar (IAS) as nodal officer at the State-run St. George and G.T. hospitals.

Senior IAS officer and former additional municipal commissioner Manisha Mhaiskar, who has been assigned augmentation of hospital beds, is on special deputation, as are N. Ramaswami and Prajakta Lavangare. While Mr. Ramaswami is on augmentation duty at Seven Hills Hospital, Ms. Lavangare is coordinating with ‘COVID Yoddhas’.

The BMC has six IAS officers — the commissioner, four additional commissioners and a joint commissioner — on regular appointment. Former Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation managing director Ashwini Bhide was on special deputation before her regular appointment as additional municipal commissioner.

Officer of the 2007 batch, Madan Nagargoje, has been assigned Nair Hospital. Ajit Patil, of the same batch, has been given charge of KEM Hospital while 2009-batch officer Balaji Manjule has been assigned Sion Hospital. Municipal Commissioner I.S. Chahal held a meeting with these officers on Thursday.

“The officers are on temporary special deputation for the fight against COVID-19. They will provide necessary support to the hospital managements from an administrative point of view,” said a senior civic official.