Started in 1971, the Unit 16 Hospital gets 150 patients daily, but does not have functional wards and equipment.
Spread on two acres of land amidst the greenery at Aarey Milk Colony in Goregaon, the Unit 16 Hospital is an ideal place for patients to recover faster. The hospital, however, is in a shambles. There are no functional wards and equipment at the hospital to handle emergency patients.
At present, the hospital operates with just two lady doctors, 5 staff nurses and one sister-in-charge. The hospital cannot admit patients due to unavailability of equipment and it is open for just two hours in the morning and another two hours in the evening. Patients visiting the hospital are only treated for viral fever, cough, cold, etc.
“Now that malaria cases are rising, we give anti-malarial drugs too. But as soon as we notice such symptoms, we ask the patient to visit a hospital outside the colony,” said a staff nurse, who did not wish to be named. The hospital, which gets about 150 patients in a day, has no stock of Tamiflu, the H1N1 drug, despite several cases in the city.
Started in 1971, the once 24-bed hospital mainly catered to the staff of the Aarey Milk Colony along with over 20,000 tribals from the 36 odd villages inside the colony. According to locals, the tuberculosis (TB) ward in the hospital was once considered to be
the best in the city. The fresh air and clean environment around the hospital helped TB patients recover quickly.
“Now, the hospital does not even have basic facilities to treat a person with a snake bite,” said Vitthal Lad of Jaag, an NGO working for tribals. According to Lad, snake bites are common in the area due to the dense forest. “The entire colony is so vast that by the time a patient is brought out, he either dies or his condition worsens,” said Lad, adding that even pregnant women have a tough time during childbirth as the hospital is not equipped for deliveries.
Recently, a 22-year-old girl was bitten by a snake and she had to be rushed to Cooper Hospital. “By the time she reached the hospital, the poison had spread in her entire body. Fortunately she survived,” said a local resident.
Residents of the colony and the tribal representatives have taken up the hospital issue with authorities several times, but the reason always cited for poor condition of the hospital is “insufficient funds”.
“We need funds to revamp the hospital and buy equipment. The renovation grant should be provided by the state government,” said LR Bhosale, chief executive officer, Aarey Milk Colony. According to Bhosale, just like the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) started balwadis in the colony, healthcare facilities should also be initiated by the civic body.
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