29-04-2025
NCP protests against Deenanath Mangeshkar hospital
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) staged a protest outside the Deenanath Mangeshkar Charitable Hospital in Erandwane on Tuesday over the allegation that Tanisha Bhise had lost her life due to delayed treatment over a demand by the hospital to pay an advance of Rs 10 lakh.
The NCP held the hospital's administration responsible, arguing that the incident highlights broader concerns about the hospital's management and its failure to provide proper care to the public.
The Deenanath Mangeshkar Charitable Hospital was established to serve economically disadvantaged sections of society, with government support and free land provided by the Maharashtra government. The hospital was also granted substantial municipal concessions.
However, protesters claimed the hospital focused on profit making and not on charitable acts, noting its alleged failure to reserve 10 per cent of its beds for economically weaker patients as required. This raised concerns that the hospital majorly catered to wealthier individuals, straying from its original mission.
NCP leaders, during the protest, asked for the hospital's administration be held accountable for Bhise's death, calling for a murder charge to be filed. They also urged the government to reclaim the land provided for free, mentioning the hospital's failure to meet its charitable purposes. Protestors called for a thorough investigation into the hospital's operations and the involvement of the Mangeshkar family in the management.
Several prominent leaders from NCP attended the protest and raised concerns about the practices of healthcare institutions that receive government support but may not fully serve their intended purpose.
Despite getting government support, the hospital has allegedly failed to pay Rs 27 crore in property tax. Protestors questioned the municipal corporation for not pursuing the hospital's outstanding dues with the same urgency applied to smaller property tax defaulters, fuelling frustration among residents and political leaders. The protesters claimed the hospital was failing to fulfill its monetary responsibilities.
