Ministry of Defence okays PMC's plan for hospital in 'air funnel zone'

PUNE: Ministry of Defence has now cleared Pune Municipal Corporation's plans for a multispeciality hospital in Warje that is set to come up on land near the National Defence Academy and within a key air funnel zone used by aircraft.
Civic officials said the clearance came after a year of follow-ups with the MoD.

"The plot for the proposed hospital is in this sensitive funnel zone and near NDA, which has an airstrip that's being used to train cadets in flying. This is why the approval process took so long," a civic official said.

The hospital, set to come up by 2027 and focused on cancer, obstetrics, and gynaecology (OB GYN) research and treatment, will also be India's first healthcare hub to be built on the Export Credit Model. The entire investment in the project is from a foreign fund being led by a Netherlands-based quasi-govt organisation.
The PMC official said as per the contract between the civic body and the organisation, 10-20% of the hospital's beds will be reserved for the poor. PMC will earn an annual income from the hospital. Patients admitted at the hospital will also receive all the healthcare schemes launched by the state govt, officials said, adding that the project has the potential to become the state's largest centre for women and child care. As for the MoD clearance, officials said PMC administrator Rajendra Bhosale approached CM Devendra Fadnavis and central authorities after it emerged the hospital would be in the funnel zone.
Dr Nina Borade, PMC's chief health officer, said: "After a year of follow-ups, the defence ministry finally gave the project the green light. The hospital's construction will start soon. The plan has been sent to MoD."
An air funnel zone is the airspace used by approaching or departing aircraft near airports.