Maharashtra government to set up a sanatorium at Tata Memorial hospital

The announcement was made after the plight of the patients’ relatives was highlighted by legislators during a calling attention motion.

The state government on Monday announced that it would set up a sanatorium at the Tata Memorial Hospital in Parel for cancer patients and their relatives.

The sanatorium will include facilities such as grocery shop, crèche, and bus services, said the state health minister. (HT file photo)

The government has identified two buildings, out of 10 vacant ones, with 300 apartments constructed by the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) at Mahul near Govandi for the accommodation.

It will be free of charge for the patients and other ancillary services will be made available.

The public health minister Deepak Sawant made the announcement in the state assembly after the plight of the patients’ relatives at the hospital was highlighted by legislators during a calling attention motion.

Shiv Sena’s Parel legislator, Ajay Chowdhari, said relatives of outstation patients are often forced to take shelter on the footpaths outside the hospital, owing to the lack of affordable temporary residences in the city.

He demanded that the government make arrangement for their accommodation.

Responding to the demand, Sawant said that the government has already submitted a proposal to the urban development department for allocation of the buildings at Mahul.

“The sanatorium will include facilities such as a fair-price grocery shop, crèche for their children, and bus services to and from Tata Hospital. To ensure medical treatment in case of emergency, we will depute doctors and other medical staff. It will be allotted only for the period of treatment,” he said.

The minister said that the government is in talks with the Tata Memorial Hospital with regard to further arrangements. He said that the department would request chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to intervene in the transfer of the buildings to the health department.

Cases of cancer are on rise in urban areas, Sawant added.