20 February,2014 09:23 AM IST | | Chetna Sadadekar
The 60-year-old man was sitting next to the pool situated at Shivaji Park when he fell down; was rushed to Hinduja Hospital, but died a few hours later
In 2010, the drowning of an eight-year-old boy at the civic-run Andheri swimming pool had spurred the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to draw safety guidelines for all their swimming pools. The measures put in place included the mandatory presence of a medical officer to provide first aid treatment in case of any emergency. But, four years later, the civic body has failed to appoint medical officers.
There is no medical officer at the swimming pool at Shivaji Park in Dadar, which is used by almost 1,000 members. File pic
Yesterday, a 60-year-old man identified as Sunil Rajaram Parab died after falling unconscious at the Mahatma Gandhi Swimming Pool in Dadar. Following the tragic demise, several members of the pool said that the death could have been avoided had Parab been provided timely medical assistance. Sadly, there was no medical officer present.
A resident of Mahim, Parab, who was a regular at the pool, was found lying unconscious next to the pool at 8.10 am. A doctor, who is a member at the pool, gave him chest compression, but with Parab showing no signs of movement, he was rushed to Hinduja Hospital in Mahim. He was administered CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) when he was brought in, but was declared dead at 11.30 am.
A BMC staffer working at the pool said, "We later got to know that the member [Parab] had a medical history and was advised against going swimming, but he continued to do so. There is no medical facility available here like earlier, which is the need of the hour."
No medical facilities
The incident has not gone down well with the members of the pool, as several have been complaining about the negligence. Dinesh Hegde, a regular at the pool, said, "After the renovation, we have observed that there is no medical officer at the swimming pool. Before the renovation, there used to be a cabin with a medical officer.
The BMC spent Rs 67 crore to renovate the pool located near Shivaji Park, which has more than a thousand registered members. Members say building a world-class pool is good, but neglecting the medical facilities, however, put their lives at risk.
