KEM finds accommodation for nursing students

On November 3, 2022, a part of the ceiling plaster fell on the kitchen helper working in the nursing quarter, injuring her. While a 2018 structural audit report had declared the nurses’ quarter as a C2-B structure—requiring repairs without vacating the premises

Mumbai: After five months of rigorous search for a suitable place to accommodate its 300 nursing students, the Parel-based King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital administration has finalised an empty school building.

KEM finds accommodation for nursing students

“We have finalised an empty Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) school building. It is a five-storey building close to Tata Memorial Hospital. At present, civil work is going on. Once ready, the nursing students will be shifted,” Dr Sangeeta Ravat, KEM Hospital dean, said.

On November 3, 2022, a part of the ceiling plaster fell on the kitchen helper working in the nursing quarter, injuring her. While a 2018 structural audit report had declared the nurses’ quarter as a C2-B structure—requiring repairs without vacating the premises. No major repairs were done post the report. It was only after the November 3 incident that the administration took the issue seriously.

The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission took suo motu cognisance of the matter and instructed the civic body to vacate the building. It asked the administration to look for alternative accommodation. However, the major hindrance was finding an alternate accommodation for the nursing students to begin the repair work.

While the administration was hell-bent on sending the students to the TB hospital, the nursing students held a protest fearing infection risk. The administration had to serve notice to the nurses to vacate the building by November 25. However, most of the students continued to stay in the dilapidated building.

“We are happy that the alternative accommodation is closer to the hospital and not in Sewri TB Hospital,” a nursing student said.