Mumbai News: Kurla Patient Denied Medicines As BMC’s Bhabha Hospital Pharmacy Remains Shut At Night

Fifty-year-old Ayaz Qureshi, a resident of Kurla East, had a harrowing experience at BMC’s Khan Bahadur Bhabha Hospital in Kurla West on the night of September 30. He visited the hospital with a severe headache around 2 a.m., but despite his condition, the doctor prescribed only a couple of tablets.

Pharmacy Windows Shut

Shockingly, the hospital’s pharmacy was closed all four windows were shut. When Qureshi asked the doctor about this, he was told to buy the medicine from outside, as the pharmacy would remain closed for two days.

Despite his repeated requests for an explanation and highlighting the difficulty of travelling from Kurla East at night, especially as an underprivileged patient, hospital staff and doctors paid no attention and insisted he purchase the medicine elsewhere.

“At 2 a.m., most pharmacies outside are also closed. How can we get medicine when the patient has a severe headache?” asked Danish Qureshi, the patient’s relative.

Protest and Police Involvement

Later, Qureshi’s relatives staged a protest over the non-availability of medicines, prompting the hospital administration to call the police. Akil Khatik, an activist who visited the hospital after learning about the incident, said this was not the first time the pharmacy had been closed.

“When I intervened, the hospital administration administered an injection and also suggested a CT scan,” Khatik said, adding that the urgency of the patient’s condition was initially ignored.

The Kurla police arrived soon after and helped calm the situation by convincing the family.

Hospital’s Explanation

According to the hospital administration, the pharmacy is staffed by two people one for the day shift and one for the night shift. However, the night-shift staff member was unwell and absent for two days, which led to the pharmacy being shut and patients being asked to purchase medicines from outside.

In its Ailing Hospital series, The Free Press Journal had earlier highlighted the shortage of staff and frequent closure of pharmacy windows at Khan Bahadur Bhabha Hospital.

When contacted, Dr. Padmashree Ahire, Medical Superintendent of the hospital, admitted the pharmacy had been closed on the night of September 30. “There was a problem for one day as the staff member was unwell. The pharmacy is now functioning normally,” Dr. Ahire said.