Mumbai, Feb 04: Over 200 intern doctors residing at Nair Dental College Hostel, Mumbai Central, have alleged that they are being forced to live in severely unhygienic conditions after private cleaning staff stopped reporting for duty.
Hostel not cleaned for over a week
According to interns, the hostel premises have not been cleaned for the past 8–10 days. Washbasins are choked, common toilets are filthy and unusable, and garbage bins are overflowing into corridors. Students said the hostel is in complete disarray, posing serious health risks.
“Garbage was removed only after students posted photos and videos of the hostel conditions on X (formerly Twitter),” interns claimed, adding that routine cleaning has still not resumed.
Non-payment of salaries cited as reason
An intern said that when students reported the issue to the authorities, they were informed that the BMC’s regular cleaning staff would take over, as private contractor workers had stopped reporting due to non-payment of salaries.
One intern questioned, “Is this how we treat doctors who treat the public?” He added, “We have been living in this filth for over a week—overflowing garbage and clogged washrooms. We demand immediate intervention.”
Health concerns raised by interns’ body
Students warned that continued negligence could lead to illness among doctors themselves. “If doctors fall sick due to these unhygienic conditions, who will treat the people?” said Dr Utkarsh Lakhe, President of the Association of State Medical Interns, Maharashtra.
Lack of basic facilities alleged
The issue extends beyond sanitation. Interns alleged that for the past 1.5 years, students have been living without basic facilities such as proper beds and lockers, calling the situation unacceptable for medical professionals in training.
“We are medical students—tomorrow’s doctors—yet forced to live in unsafe and undignified conditions,” students stated.
Cleaning resumed after social media outcry
Another intern said that garbage was finally cleared at around 4 pm on Wednesday, only after the issue was highlighted on social media. Students have appealed for immediate administrative action to restore hygiene and ensure accountability.
Dean responds to allegations
Dr Mala Dixit, Dean, Nair Dental Hospital, stated that the matter has been reported to the contractor to ensure payment to his staff, which is mandatory for any person rendering services. The issue has also been reported to the Director and the DMC to resolve the problem at the earliest.
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At the local level, BMC staff assisted in clearing the areas on Wednesday; however, they were allegedly threatened by certain local miscreants with physical harm if they proceeded with the work.
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