Three of four lifts at Bhayandar's Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Hospital out of order for over a month
Patients and relatives at the state-run hospital in Bhayandar West are struggling with one working lift, and a water shortage has added to the problems.
Three of the four lifts at Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Hospital in Bhayandar West have been out of order for more than a month, causing considerable hardship to patients and their relatives, according to complaints.
Only one lift is working at present and it is heavily overloaded. Patients and relatives often have to use the stairs. Pregnant women, senior citizens and people with disabilities are said to be the worst affected.
The hospital is an important government facility for people of Mira-Bhayandar as well as the Vasai-Virar and Palghar areas. More than 500 patients are said to visit every day for treatment, and about 100 are admitted to various departments. With three of four lifts shut for so long, questions are being raised about the hospital's arrangements. Patients, doctors, staff and relatives all depend on the single working lift, and crowding there has been reported.
The women's department is on the first floor. Pregnant women and women patients are having to climb stairs because of the lift closure, it is alleged. Climbing stairs is proving painful for patients weakened by illness or surgery. The second floor houses the ICU and other treatment departments. Elderly and disabled relatives visiting admitted patients there are also facing difficulty without the lifts.
Along with the lifts, the hospital's water supply has also become an issue. The hospital gets its water from the municipal corporation, but supply has reportedly been low for the past few days. The hospital administration is said to be having to bring in water by tanker. With a large number of patients admitted and water running short, there are fears that cleanliness will suffer. Hygiene is directly linked to patients' health, and there are demands that the water problem be resolved quickly.
The hospital, which is run by the state government, has a capacity of 200 beds, and the building has four storeys including the ground floor. It offers primary care, various kinds of surgery and other medical services. A large population in the area depends on it.
The Rugna Kalyan Samiti (patient welfare committee) has expressed concern over the closed lifts, filth, security lapses, water supply and other problems at the hospital. Committee member Omprakash Garodia said these problems need to be resolved immediately. Garodia said a demand has been made to the civil surgeon of Thane district to call a meeting on the matter at once.
Questions are also being asked about why the lifts have not been repaired even though three of the four have been shut for so long. It is alleged that regular maintenance and timely repair of lifts should have been carried out at an essential service like a hospital, but this was neglected. Attempts to contact the concerned civic officials about the lift repairs and water supply were unsuccessful. Patients and relatives are now waiting to see when all three lifts will be working again and when the water problem will be resolved.
