BMC plans dharamshalas for patients' kin

MUMBAI: The BMC is planning to build dharamshalas for relatives of patients admitted to its various hospitals in the city.
The BMC has over 12,000 general beds in the city and treats over lakhs of patients on an outpatient basis every year. However, its three super-specialty hospitals - KEM in Parel, Nair in Mumbai Central and Sion Hospital-- manage around 20 lakh in-patients every year. Another 58 lakh patients are treated at its 17 suburban hospitals.
"Many of our patients come from outside Mumbai and have no place to stay in an expensive city," said a BMC official. It is estimated that 20% of the patients treated at various civic hospitals come from outside the city.
Confirming the development, additional municipal commissioner S Kakani said the corporation plans to build a few dharamshalas to help families. "At present, the plan is to build one dharamshala in central Mumbai," he said.
While there are small dharamshalas and dormitories that are run by the government or NGOs where patients and their relatives stay during long treatment plans, there is always a shortage of space and many families end up camping on pavements outside big public hospitals such as Tata Memorial Hospital, KEM Hospital, Wadia Hospital, etc.
The civic body plans to provide its land to set up a dharamshala which will be run by NGOs and constructed using funds generated through corporate social responsibility initiatives. "We are in the process of identifying land that would be appropriate and large enough for a dharmashala," he said.
Incidentally, the Tata Memorial Hospital in Parel is in the midst of building a dormitory for relatives of patients close to the hospital. In a five-acre plot acquired from the state government near the Haffkine Institute, the Tata centre will set up a new hospital and the dormitory as well as residential quarters for resident doctors.