07 April,2015 10:26 AM IST | | Sachin Unhalekar
A circular directing that at least two doctors should be appointed at each civic pool was sent last year; the 21-year-old MCom student died in the Ghatkopar pool on Friday, but BMC is yet to take any action
Days after a 21-year-old allegedly died by drowning in a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) swimming pool, the civic body is yet to appoint a single doctor at any of its six pools. This, despite a circular for the appointment of at least two doctors at every pool having been issued last year in the wake of a similar incident.
Kanchan Rode's father said there was no doctor or ambulance at the Ghatkopar civic swimming pool and it took 20 minutes to find a vehicle to take her to a hospital
On Friday, Kanchan Rode (21), an MCom student at University of Mumbai drowned at the Ghatkopar Lions Swimming Pool and civic officials alleged she suffered an epileptic attack. However, her father, Suryakant Rode, refuted these charges, saying it was lack of timely medical aid that killed his daughter.
"When Kanchan was pulled out of the water, there was no medical assistance available. There was no doctor or even an ambulance to take her to a hospital. We had to request a private vehicle to take us there, during which we lost 20 minutes. This is why appointing doctors at swimming pools is essential," he said.
Suryakant further said his daughter was learning to swim and had not mastered it completely. Yet, the trainer put her in water without a floatation aid or rubber tubes. Reacting to BMC's charges that it was an epileptic attack that caused her to drown, he said that Kanchan had suffered an attack two years ago and it had never happened since.
"She was taking medication to prevent such attacks. Our family doctor had given her clearance to swim. The post-mortem report (mid-day has a copy) does not show epilepsy as the cause of death," he added. The Rodes are also planning to write to the police.
Dragging their feet
mid-day had reported about a death in the civic pool at Shivaji Park in February last year, wherein a 60-year-old died after falling unconscious at the facility (see box). After this, the BMC had issued a circular that two doctors should be appointed at every civic swimming pool. Not a single pool has a doctor yet, though they have lifeguards and trainers.
There are two trainers at the Ghatkopar pool, out of which one was present when Kanchan drowned. Devendra Amberkar, BMC opposition leader from the Congress, told mid-day, "I had demanded that doctors be provided at civic pools after repeated deaths due to drowning were being seen.
BMC authorities had even issued a circular regarding the same, but there has been no implementation whatsoever." A manager at one of the six swimming pools confirmed that no pool had any doctor. "During such incidents, the absence of a doctor can cost someone their life," he said.
