Mumbai: Following student's death, all BMC swimming pools to get doctors

The Lions Swimming Pool at Ghatkopar

A year after receiving a notice to appoint two doctors at each of its six swimming pools, the BMC met on Friday and decided to implement the order.

After the meeting, SVR Srinivas, additional municipal commissioner, told sunday mid-day: "Yes, the BMC had passed a circular regarding the appointment of doctors at its swimming pools.

Also read: Days after girl drowned, BMC pools in Mumbai yet to get doctors

The Lions Swimming Pool at Ghatkopar

But this was not implemented. Today, (April 10, 2015) we again met regarding this and it was decided that we will recruit two doctors per swimming pool."

On April 7, midday had reported that the BMC was yet to appoint a single doctor at any of its pools, although a circular was passed last year stating that the civic body should appoint at least two doctors at each of its swimming pools.

File photo of Kanchan Rode

Past cases
The incident came to light after Kanchan Rode (21), an MCom student at University of Mumbai drowned at the Ghatkopar Lions Swimming Pool on April 3. In a similar incident last year, Sunil Rajaram Parab (60) drowned in the Shivaji Park civic swimming pool and in 2010, an eight-year-old boy had died at the Shahaji Raje Sports Complex pool in Andheri.

In all three cases, lack of medical help at the pools was blamed for the tragedy. There was no doctor present in
the vicinity when the accidents occurred.