The health department is sending certain queries to both Medanta and Apollo groups regarding its super-speciality project in the city.

If sources are to be believed, the queries, which the health department is planning to send to both the noted private players, are of very minor nature and could have been avoided.

"It is quite ridiculous that the department is sending such funny queries to these big groups. One of the queries is whether these groups have hospitals with a capacity of 500-600 beds or not. Both Medanta and Apollo groups are among the largest chain of super-speciality hospitals," said a source from health department.

The source further added, "If the department wants clarification on minor issues, it should get the information from the company representatives through mails or telephonic conversations. It should not rely on postal methods. The department will send a post to International Finance Corporation (consultant of the project), who would then forward the queries to both the groups. The groups shall then have to submit their clarification to IFC, which would later be handed over to the health department. The entire process would take so much time that the project would get delayed."

Pankaj Sinha, the investment officer of IFC confirmed that the queries, which the health department was going to send to both these groups, were of very minor nature and that they were just doing away with the formalities.

Sources said of the six groups, which participated in the pre-bid meeting with regard to the project, only two groups - Medanta and Apollo - submitted their documents in the technical bid meeting held at a city hotel on June 4.

Representatives of six hospitals including Medanta, Apollo, Asian Institute of Medical Sciences (Faridabad), Glocal Healthcare Systems Private Limited (Calcutta), Narayan Hrudayala (Bangalore) and Abengoa (a Spanish multi-national company) had participated in the pre-bid meeting regarding this project in January, this year.

However, only two of the six groups - Medanta and Apollo turned up at the technical bid meeting of this project held on June 4 in Patna. Both the groups seem to be very interested in this project. The department should try to get things done as soon as possible, because if these groups also lose their interest in the project because of the delay, things would become difficult for the department," said the source from the health department.

IFC officials, however, assured that the project would start on time. "If things go well, we would issue the financial bid of the project within a week and would finally select the private player who would develop the super-speciality hospital on PPP mode. However, at first, we have to complete the formalities regarding the project," added Sinha.