BMC plans first medical college in western suburbs

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plans to start a medical college at RN Cooper Hospital in Vile Parle (West) from the next academic year. It will be the first medical college in the suburbs.

According to officials from the health department, the civic body has recently sent a proposal to the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, Nashik, seeking permission to start a medical college. A hospital needs to have a capacity of 800 beds to start a medical college.      

“RN Cooper Hospital is undergoing redevelopment and it will have 580 beds after the completion of the work. The newly-inaugurated Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Trauma Care hospital in Jogeshwari has a capacity of 300 beds. So, these two hospitals jointly fulfill the required criterion for setting up a medical college in the western suburbs,” said a senior civic health department official. 

The official added that Mumbai is the only city in the country to have its own set-up of civic hospitals and medical colleges. While KEM, Nair and Sion are premier hospitals with medical colleges in the city, the suburbs do not have a single medical college and hospital.   

“If all goes well, then we will be able to start the medical college from next academic year. We hope this new college will help take some load off KEM, Nair and Sion hospitals,” he added.      

Mayor Sunil Prabhu said another medical college will be set up at Shatabdi Hospital in Govandi.

“The work of upgrading Shatabdi Hospital as well as other periphery hospitals is going on. After completion of this work, a medical college will be set up at Shatabdi Hospital,” said Prabhu.