Mumbai: The Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) at Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya Centenary Municipal General (Shatabdi) Hospital in Govandi is once again open to the public. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has appointed additional Resident Medical Officers on a six-month contract, restoring the facility’s operations.
Closure Due to Doctor Shortage Since February 2025
The 10-bed MICU had been shut since February 2025 due to a shortage of doctors. The Free Press Journal had highlighted the closure in its Ailing Hospital series on Sunday, August 10, 2025.
BMC Says Medical Services Fully Restored
According to the BMC, with adequate staffing now in place across the MICU, inpatient wards, and outpatient departments, medical services at the hospital have resumed smoothly. This revival offers much-needed relief to residents of Govandi, Mankhurd, and Chembur, who rely heavily on the hospital for care.
Temporary Staff Appointed Until January 2026
“Appointments for the post of Resident Medical Officer are made on a time-bound basis. For the period from August 2025 to January 2026, sufficient doctors have been appointed for various hospital services. With the doctors having reported for duty in adequate numbers, intensive care services have been launched after thorough preparation and complete arrangements,” the BMC’s Public Relations Department said in a statement.
The hospital’s Outpatient Department (OPD) caters to 600–700 patients daily. Until recently, services were being handled by just four Resident Medical Officers.
“The addition of five more officers has significantly improved the hospital’s capacity, ensuring smooth operations across all departments,” said the statement.
Activists Call Reopening a Temporary Fix
Meanwhile, the Hospital Bachao, Privatization Hatao Action Committee — which held two protests in the last one month — said, “This is not a reform, but merely a temporary fix. We need permanent doctors. People’s lives are at stake, yet the BMC continues to push contractualization and privatization, causing a steady decline in services and avoidable deaths.”
The group pointed out that the new hires are on six-month contracts, not permanent posts. “These doctors have no job security, and the ICU could be shut down again at any time, just as it was in February,” they warned.
Past Death Highlights ICU Shortage Impact
It is recalled that in April 2025, patient Avinash Shirgaonkar died after being denied even basic catheterization for acute urinary retention at Shatabdi Hospital. At the time, the ICU was non-functional and no doctors were available.
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The delay in treatment caused his condition to deteriorate rapidly before he could be shifted to another hospital. Residents of Govandi and nearby areas have complained that, in the absence of an ICU, many critical patients were either turned away or referred to Rajawadi or Sion hospitals.
