VIDEO: Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad Slams BMC Over Poor Conditions At VN Desai Hospital; Patients Forced To Sleep In Corridors, Key Services Shut

Mumbai, Nov 25: Raising alarm over the deteriorating state of Mumbai’s civic healthcare system, Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad on Tuesday conducted a surprise inspection of the BMC-run V.N. Desai Hospital in Santacruz.

Her visit revealed serious lapses in patient care, crumbling infrastructure and non-functional essential services — issues she warned could severely impact thousands of underprivileged families dependent on civic hospitals.

Wards Shut, Patients Forced to Sleep in Corridors

Gaikwad said several wards and rooms have been kept closed for months under the pretext of repairs, even as basic facilities remain neglected. She cited the shocking case of a woman who had undergone a Caesarean delivery being forced to sleep in a passage due to lack of bed allocation. “Except for the two upper floors, the entire building is in disarray. Toilets are shut, and women are compelled to go outside,” she said.

Key Departments Non-Functional Despite Claims of Development Work

While the administration claimed development work has been underway since January, Gaikwad’s interactions with patients revealed that only outsourced services were operating, while several crucial departments had come to a standstill. “The privatised CT scan service is functional, but 2D echo, pathology and other critical units are non-operational,” she noted.

Gaikwad Alleges Mistreatment, Neglect of Patients

Highlighting mistreatment of patients, Gaikwad said she witnessed patients being shouted at, denied proper care and made to sleep in corridors despite available beds.

Congress MP Demands Municipal Commissioner’s Intervention

Terming the situation “completely unacceptable,” Gaikwad urged the Municipal Commissioner, Additional Municipal Commissioner and Deputy Municipal Commissioner to visit the hospital personally.

“We will not allow a conspiracy to hand over hospitals — built with Mumbaikars’ money — to private companies through corruption,” she added, demanding that Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani conduct a thorough inspection and initiate corrective measures.

Hospital Superintendent Clarifies OT Closure Reason

When the Free Press Journal contacted medical superintendent Dr Jairaj Acharya, he clarified that the orthopaedic operation theatre (OT) had been temporarily shut because it was undergoing cleaning and disinfection after a swab test returned positive.

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However, he noted that someone had wrongly complained that the OT was simply closed. Dr Acharya further stated that all scheduled medicines are fully available in the hospital and can be verified at any time.

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