Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s general assembly erupted into an uproar on Thursday during discussion over the suspension of four Sewri TB Hospital staffers. Some Opposition corporators even got patients to the civic headquarters to highlight their plight, after which Mayor asked for a detailed report in the matter.
On September 22, there was a tiff between parents of seven pediatric TB patients of the municipal hospital and its nurses and they were allegedly forced to get their children discharged. The parents said that the nurses had harassed them and behaved badly. The BMC subsequently suspended four hospital staffers and asked for a compliance report. The patients were re-admitted.
Shiv Sena corporator Shradda Jadhav took up a motion claiming that the staffers’ suspension was unfair. “The nurses say that parents do not have any discipline while their children are undergoing treatment and do not follow instructions. They also have a point of view that must be heard. On what basis were they suspended? There have been serious complaints against doctors as well. What action was taken against them?” she asked.
Sena corporator Sheetal Mhatre also supported the motion claiming that the nurses were not at fault. “Some of the doctors have taken patients out in the city for leisure activity. How can they do that? Who authorised this? Shouldn’t TB patients be isolated?” she asked.
Tabassum Shaikh, whose six-year-old daughter Varaska was taking treatment for TB for about three months, said, “Today, again there was a fight between nurses and parents. One of the nurses even hit a person. They continue to behave very badly with us.”
Opposition corporators claimed the action was justified. Congress corporator Ashraf Azmi said that there had been many complaints against the staff’s dadagiri (behaviour) in the past as well and that the doctors were scared of nurses.
Responding to the motion, additional municipal commissioner I.A. Kundan, who had ordered the suspension, said, “I visited the hospital unannounced and witnessed the negligence myself. That is why I ordered suspension. Due process will be followed.”
After listening to Ms. Kundan, the Mayor set aside the motion and asked for a detailed report.