Thane Mental Hospital to be largest facility in state after renovation

The renovation is set to be implemented in two phases, where half of the hospital will be renovated while shifting the patients to the other half. The new infrastructure will be built on a total of 1,12,745 square metres (sqm) of land and will encompass approximately 31,000 sqm of dedicated green area

Thane: Thane Mental Hospital is all set to become the largest mental hospital in the state with ₹6.75 crore being allocated from the state funds to demolish the entire structure and rebuild it with state-of-the-art infrastructure inspired by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore.

While the hospital has been trying to undertake this renovation for the last two years, but has been unable to do so due to lack of funds and enthusiasm from the government, the renovation work will now tentatively begin after four months; after GR is passed and a tender is finalised (Praful Gangurde / HT Photo)

“The buildings here were built in 1901. The government passed a general resolution (GR) in April when the chief minister sought 14.83 acres of hospital land, comprising six female wards, to build the new Kopri railway station to decongest the Thane railway station. While the high court allowed the use of the land for the station, it also directed the government to build six new wards along with the renovation of the entire hospital. Those wards will be built tentatively by October end,” Netaji Mulik, medical superintendent of Thane Mental Hospital, said.

The renovation is set to be implemented in two phases, where half of the hospital will be renovated while shifting the patients to the other half. The new infrastructure will be built on a total of 1,12,745 square metres (sqm) of land and will encompass approximately 31,000 sqm of dedicated green area. “The infrastructure will include around eight single, double and triple floor buildings with male and female wards, employee and doctor quarters, separate stay facilities for relatives and officials, an auditorium, a daycare facility and the like,” a staff member from the hospital said, adding that the patients will also be taught vocational courses to make them independent.

Mulik told HT that the hospital was one of the first mental hospitals in the state to start special courses on psychiatric training. He said, “We currently run a small batch of 20 students. This is set to increase with an entire building as a ‘Centre for Excellence’.”

While the hospital has been trying to undertake this renovation for the last two years, but has been unable to do so due to lack of funds and enthusiasm from the government, the renovation work will now tentatively begin after four months; after GR is passed and a tender is finalised. Mulik informed that according to the current plan, one and a half years will be required for each phase, hence a total of three years to complete the entire renovation.