Staff Reporter: Environment and Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday flagged off the redevelopment of Lokmanya Tilak Hospital in five phases. He inaugurated the extension wing of the hostel building, and laid the foundation for the undergraduate medical student hostel and medical officer residential building which will improve the on-campus amenities for the doctors, medical staff and students
Mumbai City guardian minister Aslam Shaikh, Mayor Kishori Pednekar, MP Rahul Shewale, local MLA Tamil Selvan, Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani, Medical Education and Director of civic hospitals Dr Neelam Andrade, and Sion Hospital dean Dr Mohan Joshi were present among others.
Out of the five phases, Phase 1 (a) and (b) are underway now at the estimated cost of Rs 616.62 crore, civic sources said. The total area of construction is 13.89 lakh sq ft and the completion timeline is for 60 months.
Thackeray launched the work on a ground plus 25 storey hostel for undergraduate medical students with a capacity to accommodate 1,204 students and the construction of 696 tenements for housing resident medical officers on hospital campus.
The redevelopment plan also involves construction of out patient department, emergency medical services, employees residential quarters with 182 capacity. Bed capacity will be further augmented.
The hospital, popularly known as Sion hospital, is in its 75th year, and was launched shortly before Indian independence in April, 1957 with just 10 beds. The hospital has grown to 1,740 beds, and is credited with started the first trauma care, skin bank, and coronary stenting services in the country. The medical college affiliated to the hospital started in November 1964 with 60 students, and now nearly 200 students graduate from the college with the MBBS degree each year.
