State's housing authority is considering not renewing the hospital's lease because of alleged agreement breaches
State's housing authority is considering not renewing the hospital's lease because of alleged agreement breaches
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THE Lilavati Hospital may cease to occupy pride of place in the Bandra Reclamation skyline from 2015.
After issuing two showcause notices to the hospital authorities for alleged breaches of the lease agreement, MHADA is considering not renewing the hospital's lease on the land it currently occupies.
The decision to extend the lease of Lilavati Hospital will be taken on December 23, 2015
The documents pertaining to the same were obtained by Foundation One India, an NGO, and are in
MiD DAY's possession.
The agreement, signed between MHADA and the Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust on January 31, 1989, made a provision for the authority nominating 'a chief officer or any officer on the managing committee of the hospital'.
It also stated that the hospital would reserve 15 cots for MHADA employees at 'normal charge payable only for the period such cots are utilised by the employees of the said Authority".
Following a notice in 2002, a showcause notice was issued to the hospital by MHADA again on September 27, 2005, stating that it had failed to honour these conditions. The notice states that a Chief Officer nominated by MHADA was not appointed to the managing committee despite at least two reminders.
It also said that the hospital had, instead, insisted on deleting the clause from the agreement in a letter issued to MHADA on April 13,u00a0 2005.
MHADA Chairperson Dr Amarjit Singh Manhas confirmed to this reporter that the lease may not be extended.
"We had sent the hospital two notices on the issue, but their replies were not satisfactory, particularly about why the chief officer was not appointed on the managing committee. Further inquiry will tell whether or not the lease will be extended on December 23, 2015," he said.
The Other Side
In a letter faxed to MiD DAY, the trust's spokesperson said, "The MHADA has not rejected the Trust's application for extension.
The MHADA did not consider the Trust's application for extension lease was coming to an end on January 30, 2019 (i.e. after more than nine years after the date of the trust's application for extension), the MHADA was not in a position to consider the Trust's application one way or the other.
The Trust has peacefully and continuously without any interruptions enjoyed the land leased from MHADA now for more than two decades. MHADA has till date for any reason whatsoever neither terminated nor sought to terminate the lease granted to the Trust during the subsistence and validity thereof."
Celebrity hospital
Lilavati hospital is known as the hospital for the stars. In 2008, when Saif Ali Khan complained of chest pains he was rushed to Lilavati Hospital. Also, Amitabh Bachchan was admitted to Lilavati when he complained of pain.
Jan 31, 1989
Date when lease was signed between MHADA and the Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust
32 years
The age of the hospital, which was set up by Kirtilal Mehta in 1978