Proposal to rename KEM Hospital clears BMC health panel, awaits final nod

BMC's health committee approved renaming KEM Hospital to Kaushalya Eklavya Memorial Hospital, pending final approval from the municipal commissioner.

MUMBAI: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) health committee on Friday approved a proposal to rename the city’s busiest civic-run hospital, King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital, as Kaushalya Eklavya Memorial Hospital. The proposal has now been forwarded to the municipal commissioner for her remarks before being placed before the civic body’s general body for final approval.

Proposal to rename KEM Hospital clears BMC health panel, awaits final nod

The renaming proposal was included in the health committee’s agenda following a letter from Mumbai Suburban district’s guardian minister, Mangal Prabhat Lodha. In his communication, Lodha suggested replacing what he described as a “colonialist” name, one that he said reflected servitude, with an inspirational, indigenous alternative.

Health committee chairperson Harish Bandirge said the proposal faced no opposition within the hospital. “There was no opposition to the proposal at the hospital since the hospital’s acronym and the way people address it will remain the same,” he told HT.

If cleared by the municipal commissioner and subsequently approved by the BMC’s general body, the iconic public hospital will formally adopt the new name, marking a significant shift in the identity of one of Mumbai’s most prominent healthcare institutions.