Mumbai, March 14: After an alleged fake birth certificate scam was unearthed in the M-East ward (Govandi–Shivaji Nagar) of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the ward office has stopped issuing birth certificate forms to unregistered nursing homes in its jurisdiction. As a result, children born in these nursing homes have not been able to receive birth certificates.
Parents raise concerns over delays
Residents have raised concerns that the delay in issuing birth certificates could create difficulties for parents in completing important procedures such as hospital documentation, vaccination records and future school admissions. Many families are worried as they are unable to complete the official registration of their newborns.
According to the BMC, 24 unregistered nursing homes are operating in the ward, and the civic body has issued notices to them, asking them to register to obtain birth certificate forms.
BMC issues notices to illegal facilities
Dr Jitendra Hinge, Medical Officer of Health of M-East ward of the BMC, said that the ward office stopped issuing birth certificate forms to unregistered nursing homes in February 2026.
“Under the Bombay Nursing Home Act, we have issued notices to these nursing homes to stop admitting patients and conducting deliveries, as we will not provide birth certificate form books. We have also asked them to immediately register with the BMC,” said Dr Hinge.
He added that the civic body has also informed the local police and the state Urban Development Department.
Many nursing homes operating in dense areas
The Govandi–Shivaji Nagar areas in the M-East ward are highly dense. According to BMC officials, the 24 illegally operating nursing homes are mostly located in slum areas and lack the required documentation.
Due to the high demand for maternity services in the area, many deliveries take place in private nursing homes. However, several of these nursing homes do not have Birth Certificate (BC) forms to submit to the M-East Ward Health Department. As a result, when parents visit the ward office to obtain a birth certificate, the record of their child is sometimes not found in the system.
Activists highlight legal right to birth certificate
Dr Azaz Khan, founding member of the Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation, said, “Every child has a fundamental legal right to receive a birth certificate. If, due to the unavailability of birth certificate forms in nursing homes, newborn records are not properly submitted to the ward office, it becomes a serious administrative concern. The concerned authorities must understand the ground reality and ensure a practical system so that no child is deprived of this essential document.”
However, Dr Hinge clarified that registered nursing homes are provided with birth certificate forms and that there are 43 registered nursing homes in the area.
“Despite BMC notices, if unregistered nursing homes continue to operate, we will take police assistance to initiate action against them,” he said.
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Appeal to residents
On newborns not receiving birth certificates, Dr Hinge said that, as per government regulations, deliveries should not be conducted in unregistered nursing homes. “That is why we have written to the police,” he said.
Meanwhile, the BMC has appealed to residents not to visit such illegal nursing homes for deliveries.
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