Midnight horror for families at Vikhroli hospital

ICU inside inside the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Maternity Hospital

Two families, who had admitted their relatives to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) managed by Krantiveer Mahatma Jyotiba Phule (KMJP) Hospital inside Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Maternity Hospital, had to rush their loved ones out when smoke erupted, sparking fears of a potential fire.

"My grandfather was being treated in the ICU there. Our experience with the hospital and the treatment was good, but then in the middle of the night, we heard the siren ring, and there was panic everywhere," said Shweta Verma, granddaughter of 65-year-old Shivaji Dhele, who was at the hospital due to respiratory illness.
He was transferred by the hospital authorities to Rajawadi Hospital, which is 10 km away. "All of it was sudden and unexpected. But there were fire brigades at the spot, and we were shifted from one hospital to the other without much trouble," Verma said.

Rajpal Ram, a roadside falooda seller received a call from the hospital informing him about the short circuit. Pics/Eshan Kalyanikar

However, at Rajawadi, the family is now unfamiliar with the new setup. "The doctors were in touch with us at the earlier hospital. Here we are just asked to wait outside, and there is no timely update on my grandfather's condition," Verma said.

Like her, Rajpal Ram, a roadside falooda seller in Vikhroli, had to shift his 60-year-old mother, Vimla Tiwari, from the hospital in Vikhroli to Rajawadi.

"She was rushed to the hospital at around 11 pm after she had collapsed in the house. I returned to work after admitting her, and by 1 am, I received a call from the hospital telling me there had been a short circuit," he said.

Panicked Ram rushed to the hospital and moved his mother to the faraway Rajawadi.

The patients were relocated to Rajawadi, and KMJP established an ICU unit in another hospital due to the prolonged closure of the Kannamwar Nagar facility, declared dilapidated in 2018.

Ram, who often travels a great distance for his diabetic mother's treatment to Sion Hospital, emphasises the convenience of having two nearby BMC hospitals, like Phule and Sion, to avoid lengthy journeys.