Hike in FSI draws poor response
Usha Holla - Mumbai

Maharashtra state government’s strategy of shifting a portion of healthcare burden from government hospitals to private sector by way of increasing the Floor Space Index (FSI) for healthcare institutions from 2.66 to 5.33 and consequently asking the latter to provide 20 per cent free beds in return has come a cropper. The move has drawn a poor response from the city’s private hospitals.

While most private hospitals welcome the move and are happy with the relaxation, the rider of providing free beds is being met with stiff opposition. The 30-member strong Association of Charitable Hospitals of Bombay (ACHB) has presented a memorandum to the government explaining that it is not possible to meet the government’s demand of providing 10 per cent extra free beds. “Instead, we are ready to offer those many beds at subsidised rates,” Dr K R Shetty, vice president, ACHB, told Express Healthcare Management. It may be mentioned that the trust-based hospitals in Mumbai are already providing free treatment to 10 per cent of the patients.

“The government has not done any favour to the industry by increasing the FSI. In fact it was long overdue. Other states have given free land to big hospital projects like the Satya Sai Baba Hospital in Bangalore. That is something you can say as remarkable,” Dr Shetty remarks. Nevertheless, most large hospitals in the city cannot go for vertical expansion in any case, he says.

Private hospitals, which meet 70 per cent of city’s requirements as against 30 per cent in case of government hospitals, are also peeved by the State’s decision to remove subsidy on water and electricity. “Earlier, the trust-based hospitals received electricity and water at rates applicable to government and municipal hospitals. But this concession was cancelled recently and now private hospitals will be charged on a commercial basis,” says Dr Shetty.

The criteria of 20 per cent free beds is not at all feasible, he explains. “The government spends around Rs 600 crore on health per year. Despite this, none of the government hospitals are in the pink of health. Around 65-70 per cent of the funds are spent on salaries in public hospitals and hence there isn’t adequate funds for medicines, equipment and services. Now, the government wants to ruin private hospitals too. We are doing our job by extending better healthcare services to people. Hence the government should concentrate on setting their houses in order and not interfere in our working,” Dr Shetty opined.

Hospital administrators feel that providing the bed, linen, nursing service, food, etc for free is still feasible, but expensive medications and implants are not. “Therefore, there should be a partial subsidy and not a complete subsidy,’’ they opine.

Despite being sore, hospitals are planning to use the FSI in a best possible way. The Bhatia General Hospital, a 250 bed tertiary care centre has applied for increasing its bed strength by 100. ‘‘We would be adding more departments also. Major ones being a cardiovascular centre and neuro surgery centre with a brain tumour unit. We have plans to invest around Rs 60-100 crore on various facilities once we get the full FSI,’’ informed Dr Vijai Kumar, medical director of the hospital.

Smt Sushilaben Mehta and Kikabhai Mehta Cardiac Institute is another hospital that is using the increased FSI for building residential quarters for the emergency staff and on-duty medical officers. ‘‘It is a good move by the government. Hospitals can add more departments and also focus on other areas of patient care like providing staying facility for patients’ relatives,’’ says Dr M D Dasilva, medical director.

Anupam Verma, director-Administration, Hinduja Hospital said, ‘‘We are considering how it can be useful to us.’’ Same was the view expressed by Col. Matwanker, director-Operations, Sir H N Hospital.