Bhagwati Hospital to get a new look
Mumbai: GIVING in to the demands of the doctors and local politicians, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has finally decided to redevelop Bhagwati Hospital, even as its third floor male surgical ward remains shut due to leakages.
Built in 1968, the Borivali hospital—a secondary care municipal hospital—caters to the ever-increasing population in the western suburbs from Goregaon to Dahanu. When the seven blasts ripped the city’s railways on July 11, a majority of the injured from Borivali and Mira Road stations were admitted here. This monsoon, the building saw several leakages, especially on the second-floor outside the Operation Theatres. ‘‘Every ceiling leaks. Even the roof of the medical superintendent’s office could fall off,’’ said a doctor on condition of anonymity.
The hospital authorities had been demanding development for the last four years, which has been consented to after Municipal Commissioner Johny Joseph’s visit to the hospital last month.
‘‘We have spent quite a bit on repairs over the years. So, it was decided that the hospital be redeveloped. Architects will be appointed soon and plans drawn,’’ said BMC City Engineer P D Nadkarni.
After discussing with Joseph, Nadkarni now has been told to prepare a development plan for the civic hospital. ‘‘There will be no more repairs, but the development of the hospital has been agreed upon,’’ said BMC’s Health Committee Chairman Mangal Mange.
‘‘Two major repairs have been done in the last 10 years wherein crores of rupees were spent. The same money could have been used on constructing a new building in the open space available,’’ said Gopal Shetty, Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha member from Borivali. ‘‘Five years ago, I first approached the BMC to redevelop the hospital. Last year, I also met Joseph for the same. I have also written two letters to the BMC this year,’’ he added.
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