SVP Hospital accused of bending tender terms to block new housekeeping agencies

Serious irregularities at Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Hospital (SVP) have come to light, with insiders alleging that the housekeeping tender rules are designed to block new agencies and allow underperforming existing agencies to continue bidding and secure contracts.

Vishva Enterprise, which is currently managing housekeeping at SVP, has been fined around ₹10 lakh per month due to poor service.

The new tender requires agencies to have provided services in a single hospital with over 300 staff and to have an annual turnover exceeding ₹25 crore for three of the last five years, including a single tender worth over ₹20 crore in one year. 

Previously, agencies with a ₹3 crore turnover and three years of service in any hospital could participate.

Due to these conditions, only older agencies attended the pre-bid meeting on June 30, while new players were effectively blocked. Stakeholders have reportedly raised written objections with the Municipal Commissioner and Hospital Committee, demanding changes to allow new agencies to participate.

Insiders allege that vested interests within the hospital system are structuring tenders to ensure only selected agencies continue to receive contracts despite service deficiencies, resulting in high expenditure but poor cleanliness standards at the hospital.

Meanwhile, despite poor performance, Vishva Enterprise’s bills averaging ₹1.65 crore per month continue to be cleared, though the company has been unable to submit bills for pre-audit since February 2025.