Civic nod for Rs 340-crore metro blood bank project

Stating that it won’t hamper the modernisation of Sion hospital, the standing committee of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) gave its approval to the Rs340-crore metro blood bank project on Wednesday.

Stating that it won’t hamper the modernisation of Sion hospital, the standing committee of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) gave its approval to the Rs340-crore metro blood bank project on Wednesday. Some corporators, however, maintained that the project could impact the hospital’s expansion plans.

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The Hindustan Times had, on Monday, reported that while the local doctors supported the project, the staff members were against the central government project that will be funded by the World Bank. The civic body had to inform the Centre about the availability of the land by March 31.

The blood bank will be constructed in the barracks near Sion hospital, which has residential quarters for doctors and other medical staff of the hospital, along with the offices of certain non-governmental organisations.

Housing one of the biggest blood banks in the city, a technical institute to study better tranfusion techniques and

blood units processing centres will be set up under the project.

Mangesh Satamkar, Sion corporator and standing committee member, who was opposed to the project, said, “We will support the project if the administration agrees to ensure that none of the medical staff and the NGOs situated in the barracks will be displaced.”

“We will be making alternative arrangements for the NGOs, while the modernisation of the hospital will involve building more staff quarters. So, the project will not displace anyone,” said additional municipal commissioner Manisha Mhaiskar.

Mhaiskar added that the blood bank would be placed in the direct supervision of the dean of Sion Hospital. The officials of the Centre, state, BMC and Sion hospital would look into the administration of the institute.