Two doctors, five patients: Gandhi hospital in Mumbai’s Parel stays half-shut

Dinesh Kharade, a beneficiary under the ESIC who works in Dadar and sustained a head injury after accidentally falling, visited the hospital for a CT Scan after he experienced nausea. “But there is no facility to do the test. Lab technician is not there. I have now been referred to Andheri’s centre. Since I don’t have money for private tests, I will have to travel to suburbs for a CT scan,” he said.

The hospital is jointly managed and funded under the ESIC by the state government and the Centre. It was built with the aim to provide free treatment to those registered under the Employee’s State Insurance Act, which ensures free medical treatment to employees and their families whose income is below Rs 15,000 per month.
The 330-bed hospital, however, has isolated wards, shut operation theaters, and empty receptions and waiting rooms.

A brand new six-storey operation theatre block and a new building for the nursing institution on the campus has been constructed but stands non-operational. The hospital records show it has sanctioned posts for two gynaecologists, two paediatricians, two orthopaedics, two physicians, and an anaesthetist. There is only one paediatrician and one physician available, the other posts are on contractual basis. “The out patient department gets 250 to 300 patients. But very basic medical treatment is provided. Most are referred to KEM hospital,” a ward boy said.

On the hospital’s second floor, in ward 24, five children play in a deserted ward and a dark corridor outside. These are the only patients in entire hospital. A group of nurses sit in a corner and talk. “We have only these five patients to look after. They are also admitted because a paediatrician is posted. What can we do except sit all day,” one of them said.

Three-year-old Avni Supekar remained in her mother’s arm. “She has dengue and high fever. So we thought of bringing her here,” said mother Aditi Anant Supekar, a Sewri resident. “But we weren’t sure if they’ll treat her. Since the paediatrician was available, she got admitted,” Supekar added. Madhura Shinde, whose daughter Durva is admitted for fever, said the doctor comes thrice a day to check. “But the hospital has such limited facilities, we have stopped coming here for intensive treatment,” she said. An ayah, Galal Premji, working in the hospital since 15 years, said the x-ray, ECG, intensive care unit facility in hospital stands defunct. “If a serious patient comes, how will he be treated? Families of critical patients can beat us up if something happens. That is why doctors are scared to work here,” she says.