Andheri ESIC hospital restarts admissions after eight years, but men's ward and ICU remain shut

Nearly eight years after a major fire at the ESIC hospital in Andheri, its in-patient department (IPD) has been restarted. The hospital is not yet running at full capacity, however, and patients continue to face difficulties.

For now, a 25-bed women's ward has been opened, where women patients are being admitted and treated. The men's ward has not yet started. Important facilities such as the operation theatre, ICU, CT scan and MRI are also not yet available.

Before the fire, the hospital offered all kinds of intensive care facilities. These are now shut, so serious patients have to be sent to other ESIC hospitals for the treatment they need.

According to the hospital administration, IPD services are being started in phases. Once the necessary procedures are completed, the men's ward and intensive care facilities will be started. The administration said it plans to bring essential and multi-speciality services into operation on a large scale by December 31 this year.

According to the hospital's dean, Dr Ajay Patil, after high-level administrative discussions the target is to make the hospital fully operational by March 31, 2027. After an eight-year wait the hospital has opened, but the question of when all medical facilities will be available at full capacity remains.

A patient's relative said the resumption of admissions has brought relief. But when an operation or a specific test is needed, patients have to go to the ESIC hospital in Kandivali, which is causing them considerable hardship.

The hospital currently has a 25-bed women's IPD ward, casualty, laboratory, ECG, OPD, radiology and pharmacy services. Advocate Bhimesh Mutula, secretary of the Maharashtra Rajya Rugnasevak va Shramik Kamgar Sanghatana, said he has been pursuing the matter continuously to get the hospital started at full capacity.