With the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the management of Wadia hospitals not coming to an agreement over the dispute regarding funding, King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital may be asked to take in patients discharged from the two hospitals. However, with KEM Hospital already struggling with overcrowding of patients, it might worsen the crisis.
The 91-year-old Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children and Nowrosjee Wadia Maternity Hospital in Parel have declared bankruptcy, blaming BMC for not releasing funds. The Wadia trust has a collaboration with the civic body, which bears 85% of the hospitals’ operational costs. BMC has said it decided to stop releasing funds as the hospital has not responded to charges of mismanagement. One of the accusations is that the management extended their building without informing BMC. “We received complaints that the hospital was refusing to provide treatment to poor patients so we stopped the funding,” said Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner, BMC’s health department.
Both hospitals have started discharging patients, with only 30% of the 800 beds currently occupied. To ensure that discharged patients don’t suffer, BMC is planning to direct them to KEM Hospital in case the Wadia hospitals shut down. “Considering our proximity to Wadia hospital and our facilities, we might admit the referred patients,” said Dr Hemant Deshmukh, dean of KEM Hospital.
However, considering there is already a shortage of beds at KEM Hospital, absorbing patients from the Wadia hospitals might worsen the crisis. Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children has 155 beds in its NICU, whereas KEM Hospital has only 42 beds. “We are yet to decide on increasing the beds,” Deshmukh said.
{{/usCountry}}However, considering there is already a shortage of beds at KEM Hospital, absorbing patients from the Wadia hospitals might worsen the crisis. Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children has 155 beds in its NICU, whereas KEM Hospital has only 42 beds. “We are yet to decide on increasing the beds,” Deshmukh said.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Mukesh Agarwal, head of the paediatric department at KEM Hospital, said they are admitting all paediatric patients being refused admission at Wadia hospital. “We know it is a crisis, but we can’t say that to patients.”
Officials at Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children said they do not have funds to pay medicine vendors. “We haven’t sanitised the NICU due to lack of funds. Paediatric patients may get infected if they keep coming to the NICU so we have decided to discharge them,” said a senior official from the hospital.
Wadia hospitals have around 1,700 staff members who are worried about losing their jobs. Around 700 employees from Nowrosjee Wadia Maternity Hospital haven’t received their salaries for December. “We can’t pay rent and school fees of our children. While people were celebrating New Year, we were praying to god to save our jobs,” said Prakash Reddy, general secretary, Laal Bavta Vahtuk Kamgar Union, which represents the Wadia hospital staff. The union employees met deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar to express their concerns. Many health activists have cautioned against the closure of Wadia hospital, one of the most important children’s medical facilities in the city. “It is a known fact that several private hospitals refuse to provide treatment to poor patients despite getting benefits from BMC. If BMC wants to bring transparency, then they should also take action against all these hospitals rather than just targeting one,” said Dr Ravikant Singh, a health activist.