Safe heaven

“I have been suffering from this tumour since birth and have been trying to save money for the treatment for years. We do not have relatives in Mumbai and staying at lodges or guesthouses was beyond our reach. As the shelter is right opposite KEM Hospital in Parel,we were easily able to go there and get various tests done,” said Tiwari,a farmer from Madhya Pradesh.

While the various lodges and guesthouses in the vicinity charge anywhere between Rs 600 and Rs 1,200,the Savali Home takes a deposit of Rs 300 from each person and charges them Rs 20 a day.

The 5,000-sq ft home has 60 beds,including toilet and bathing facilities,for visitors. Arpita Salvi who has been working as a caretaker at the home for the past eight years,said,“Apart from the patients,we also provide accomodation to relatives. Besides,relatives of patients admitted in nearby civic-run hospitals can also come and stay.”

The home is in the basement of a commerical building opposite the KEM Hospital in the congested Parel area. Though modest,the home has separate sleeping and seating arrangements for men and women.

Forty-year-old Seema Singh Rana,who has been suffering from breast cancer for the past two years,said,”I was being treated at a nearby hospital for some days,but it was very difficult to spend Rs 800 a day for a room at a guesthouse. We have already taken a loan and sold our land for my treatment. Thankfully,we found this place which is affordable and has various amenities.”

The story started 22 years ago,when Bacchubhai Shah,a businessman,decided to help people whom he used to see sitting and sleeping on the streets near Tata Memorial Hospital. “These people had nowhere to go while their relatives were being treated. Opening Savali Home was a way to help the poor and needy who come to Mumbai for treatment,” said Bacchubhai Shah.

A social worker by choice,82-year-old Bachhubhai says,“While most people feel that money and medicines are a way to help the sick and poor,I felt there is a need for a temporary home for such people.”

For patients and their family members,Savali Home is exactly what its name suggests. Nitin Khairnar,who came to the city to fit a rod in his leg after a road accident,says,“Indeed,this home is like a shade in the sun. We feel very lost in a city like Mumbai. This place makes us feel safe here… For many of us who come from outside the state and do not know Marathi,the caretakers are a genuine source of help,” said Khairnar.

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