Mumbai:
The hospitals of BMC, the richest municipal corporation, appear to be in crisis! Vendors have stopped the supply of medicines because BMC has not paid their dues of Rs 120 crore. Medicine vendors are on the verge of financial ruin and poor patients are being given prescriptions for medicines. Report from the financial capital Mumbai.

The condition of BMC hospitals is pathetic, there is not even 3 days’ stock left. The hospital is for poor patients and BMC is not concerned about them. Our money has been withheld for about 7-8 months. Vendors say that they are on the verge of financial ruin, the delay in payment has become unbearable. In such a situation, they have no option but to postpone the supply until the payment is completed.

There are 27 municipal hospitals in and around Mumbai which are running on medicines from these vendors. The hospitals which were distributing about 50 common medicines to the patients for free are now handing over the leaflets to the family members.

When BMC presented a budget of about Rs 52,000 crore, the health sector was given 12% of the entire budget i.e. about Rs 6000 crore! The poor section of the city depends on BMC hospitals for free treatment and free medicines. Now, what is the use of this Rs 6,000 crore? What if they don’t have this luck?