Flooded Nair hospital compound. (Express Photo)Heavy rainfall brought several hospitals in south Mumbai at a standstill as water seeped through flooded streets into the compounds.
In Nair hospital, the makeshift out patient department (OPD) for Covid-19 patients, located near the hospital building, was flooded in the wee hours of Wednesday, forcing the entire set-up to be shifted.
An on-duty doctor said that around 5 am, the Covid-19 OPD — erected with the help of wooden sticks and tarpaulin sheet — started flooding. Waste bins and cardboard boxes with daily supplies started floating as the water level rose till the knee level.
“We started shifting a few patients from the OPD to the casualty ward early morning. The fever OPD is now functioning in the casualty ward,” the doctor added.
With Metro construction work near the hospital redirecting the water flow, the hospital’s main entrance had flooded in August as well after heavy showers.
On Wednesday, the main building of Nair Hospital Dental College — located in the same premises — and the hospital’s entrance was flooded.
A doctor said food and water have been arranged for the staff and the patients. “Our night shift staffers continued in the next shift as the others could not reach the hospital to replace them,” the doctor said.
Assistant Municipal Commissioner of E ward (Byculla), Makarand Dagadkhair, said: “Due to heavy rainfall, water started accumulating around 11.30 pm on Tuesday. The water level outside the hospital area went up to two feet. In three hours, the area received around 300 mm of rainfall.” He added that due to heavy rainfall and high tide, the drainage line could not drain the water.
In Kasturba hospital, while water did not enter the wards, waterlogging at the entrance and outside made life difficult for staffers and patients.
“We were asked to continue in morning shift after our night shift got over,” a ward boy said.
KEM hospital, which is prone to flooding as it is located in a low-lying area, did not witness waterlogging this time. The hospital has pumping machines at work and had also constructed drainage outlets to avoid waterlogging. Massive waterlogging was recorded in the hospital premises in 2017.
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