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Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
KEM hospital to add 500 new beds, helipad and high-rise hostel by 2026
MUMBAI: At 6,000 outpatients a day, 180 daily admissions, and over 70,000 surgeries performed in a year, Mumbai's King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital in Parel has long stretched itself thin. Now, relief may finally be on the way. Mumbai, India - April 17, 2020: People passby KEM Hospital, Parel in Mumbai, India, on Friday, April 17, 2020. (Photo by Pratik Chorge/Hindustan Times) (Pratik Chorge/HT Photo) In a major boost to the city's overburdened public health system, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has unveiled an ambitious expansion of KEM Hospital, adding 500 new beds, a state-of-the-art diagnostic centre, and a rooftop helipad to improve emergency response. Once complete, the hospital's capacity will rise to 2,750 beds—making it not just the city's largest civic-run facility, but one of its most advanced. The phased redevelopment plan, slated for completion by June 2026, aims to keep pace with the rising demand for public healthcare in Mumbai and beyond. Patients from across Maharashtra flock to KEM, often lining its corridors for critical care, surgeries, and specialised treatments. In 2023 alone, the hospital recorded 18.74 lakh outpatient visits and admitted over 65,000 patients. 'This expansion isn't just overdue—it's essential,' said a senior civic health official. 'Our ICU, emergency, and trauma services are stretched to the limit. The new facilities will not only help us manage the growing footfall but improve the quality of care across departments.' A high-rise hospital vision The centrepiece of the redevelopment is the Shatabdi Tower, an 18-storey building that will house advanced diagnostic units, operating theatres, and specialty clinics. Perched on its rooftop will be a helipad—a first for a BMC-run hospital—designed for rapid airlifting of critically ill or trauma patients during mass casualty events or citywide emergencies. 'The helipad will be a game-changer during disasters like building collapses or train accidents,' said the official. 'It will allow us to move patients in and out swiftly when every second counts.' Alongside patient-focused upgrades, the plan also prioritises hospital staff. A 32-storey nursing school and hostel with podium parking will be built to address longstanding accommodation woes. Additionally, groundwork has begun on a 21-storey staff residential tower in the hospital's orthopaedic complex. 'This is the first time in years that serious attention is being paid to the living and working conditions of healthcare workers,' said a senior resident doctor. 'Good housing and infrastructure boost morale, and ultimately, patient care.' A modernised lifeline for Mumbai KEM's expansion comes amid broader efforts to modernise Mumbai's public health infrastructure. Recently, the hospital inaugurated a dedicated burns care unit, while a molecular diagnostics lab has been launched to speed up detection of infectious diseases like tuberculosis and COVID-19. For patients like Sangeeta Patil, who travels from Nashik every month for her son's cancer treatment, the upgrades are a ray of hope. 'We often wait hours just for a blood test. If the new facilities reduce the crowding and delays, it will make a big difference for families like ours.'
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Blood bank at civic hosp to shut down as bldg repairs start
Mumbai: Local residents are upset with the decision to shut down the blood bank attached to BMC-run V N Desai Hospital, Santa Cruz, during ongoing structural repairs to the building. The blood bank, located on the second floor, stopped collecting blood almost a month back. "However, as blood units can be stored for 35 days, we still have some units left in the hospital,'' said a civic official. In early June, a structural audit classified the hospital as a C2A structure—that is, while the building is not dangerous, it's unsafe for continued use without major repairs and must be vacated for safety during the restoration process. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai The hospital's third floor has already been restored, and the second-floor repairs began a few weeks back. The staff was told the second floor would require six to eight months to be restored, prompting the authorities to partially shut down the blood bank. Former Kalina corporator Tulip Miranda is concerned as patients in the H/East ward would now have to travel further—to the civic run Cooper Hospital in Juhu—for blood. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Switch to UnionBank Rewards Card UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo While there are private blood banks located close to V N Desai Hospital, the costs are high for patients visiting the facility. "There also is uncertainty over whether the blood bank will reopen post-renovation, and whether the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will issue a fresh license,'' said Miranda. The 48-year-old hospital is widely used and has a busy gynaecology department as well as the spinal surgery unit in BMC's suburban hospital network. "Patients who come for a Caesarean section or spine surgery need blood immediately. We cannot get it from a private hospital that is located far from the OT,'' said a doctor who didn't want to be identified. Miranda said suggestions to shift the blood bank to the ground floor were ignored, with officials citing FDA restrictions on such a move. "Why were no alternative arrangements made, especially when surgeries continue to be performed daily?" she said. When contacted, acting medical superintendent Dr Jayaraj Acharya said he didn't want to comment on the issue.
Hindustan Times
24-06-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
With Mahim school ‘unsafe', BMC kids face 7km daily commute
MUMBAI: With their school in Mahim declared dilapidated and unsafe to use, primary children from a municipal school are being sent on a 7km journey each day – a burden placed on their young shoulders by crumbling civic infrastructure. secondary students have been accommodated in schools in the vicinity, primary students, aged six to ten, have been relocated to a municipal school in Worli, almost 7km away. (Anshuman Poyrekar / Hindustan Times) The sudden move to declare the BMC-run New Mahim Municipal English Primary School as dilapidated ahead of it being demolished has impacted more than 1,500 students. While secondary students have been accommodated in schools in the vicinity, primary students, aged six to ten, have been relocated to a municipal school in Worli, almost 7km away. Parents are distraught. 'We cannot send our children so far every day. There's no school bus, no transport facility provided. Are we supposed to drop them all the way to Worli and then rush to work? It's impossible,' said one parent. The Mahim school caters mainly to children from Dharavi and other low-income neighbourhoods. 'It is well patronised and sees a long wait list every year,' said one parent. 'We were shocked when we were told that the building, earlier marked as moderately damaged, had suddenly become dangerous to occupy within six months. There is no transparency from the BMC.' In July 2024, the school building was classified as C-2, which means it required repairs but could still be occupied. Inexplicably, four months later, it was tagged as C-1—completely dilapidated and unsafe—without any signs of urgent repairs or planning for alternatives. MLA from Dharavi constituency Jyoti Gaikwad raised the matter with the BMC's education department, criticising the civic body's handling of the situation. Gaikwad said the children are largely from economically weaker sections, and the lack of nearby schooling options could result in increased dropout rates. 'Instead of protecting their right to education, the system is pushing them away,' she told HT. On Monday, Gaikwad led a Congress delegation along with parents to meet civic education officials, to demand that primary students be accommodated in municipal schools in Dadar, Matunga or Sion. 'We have requested that the children be shifted temporarily to the recently built Kapad Bazar school. It may not have a playground, but it is within reach.' The Kapad Bazar building, constructed under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), was rejected by the BMC on grounds that it lacked adequate facilities. However, Gaikwad argued that the location was practical and could be used until a more permanent solution is found. The BMC's education officer was unavailable for comment.
Time of India
14-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Soon, Cama Hospital to offer full range of IVF services
Mumbai: After offering basic fertility treatment for the last 18 months, the state govt-run Cama Hospital near CST will soon upgrade to provide complete in-vitro fertility (IVF) treatment for women for free. "We have got permission to start IVF treatment such as embryo implantation, and are in the process of giving final touches to our laboratory," said Medical Superintendent Dr Tushar Palve. The complete IVF services, he added, should start within a month. In April 2024, the hospital became the first govt hospital in the city to offer basic fertility treatment such as intrauterine insemination (or artificial insemination in which sperm is placed directly into a woman's uterus) and ovulation induction (use of medication to stimulate the ovaries to release one or more eggs). Over 100 women were provided such treatment, resulting in 17 pregnancies since April 2024. Between April and December 2024, 78 women were provided treatment that resulted in eight pregnancies. "In 2025, we treated 35 women and nine were urine-positive pregnancies," said Dr Palve. As women from other parts of the state and neighbouring states also attend Cama Hospital's infertility treatment OPD, deliveries in many cases didn't take place in the hospital. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Efficient Cleaning for Compliant Warehouses SearchMore Learn More Undo "In just over five months, the Cama centre recorded 379 IVF outpatient consultations, reflecting growing trust in our fertility treatments and specialised care," said a state medical education department official. "Cama is the first state govt hospital to bridge the gap between technology and accessibility, making the dream of parenthood possible for many," he added. The country's second test-tube baby—and the state's first—was born in BMC-run KEM Hospital, Parel in 1986. After a gap of 39 years, the hospital will soon start a full-fledged IVF clinic. While KEM's neighbouring Wadia Hospital has an IVF clinic, civic-run Sion Hospital is also likely to start one soon. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Hindustan Times
14-06-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Flooded with applications, BMC to add extra division in 7 CBSE public schools
MUMBAI: Taking into consideration the increasing number of applications from parents, the BMC has announced the addition of one extra division in seven of its Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) schools across the city. This move will create 280 new seats and help address the growing demand for quality education in BMC-run institutions. According to officials, the civic body received 2,452 applications for its 1,200 available seats in 21 schools that follow the CBSE, ICSE, and IB curricula. Among these, the Mumbai Public School in Poonam Nagar, Jogeshwari East—the first BMC school to introduce the CBSE curriculum in 2020—received the highest number of applications. The school saw 236 applications for its 68 seats for the 2025-26 academic year. 'Considering the high demand from parents, we assessed the feasibility of expanding divisions, and identified seven schools where we could start an additional division,' said Prachi Jambhekar, deputy municipal commissioner (Education). The BMC will start the extra division with a capacity of 40 students from nursery onwards from the coming academic year. The seven schools are MPS Chikuwadi, Borivali which received 168 applications for 68 seats, MPS Rajawadi, Ghatkopar (155 applications), MPS Ajijbaug (187), MPS Hariyali Village (158), MPS Kane Nagar (85), MPS Malvani Township (52), MPS Bhavani Shankar (181). An education officer from the civic body noted that the popularity of the Poonam Nagar school was due to its status as the BMC's first CBSE school which has built strong credibility among parents. 'We have ensured excellent infrastructure, trained teachers, and the required academic support in all non-state board schools,' the officer added. Education officer Sujata Khare confirmed that the new divisions would benefit students currently on the waiting list. 'With the additional divisions, those students who couldn't get admission earlier will now have a chance,' she said.
