Mumbai: Desperate patients opt to lie on the floor at Nair hospital

Nair hospital ward

Mumbaikars are known to ‘adjust' in small spaces, be it houses or the fourth seat on the local train. But this has been taken to the extreme level at the BYL Nair Hospital's overburdened medicine ward, where patients are being forced to ‘adjust' under the beds of other patients! This reporter found at least two patients undergoing treatment under nearly every occupied bed. The dean of the hospital acknowledged they had more patients than beds but said they couldn't turn them away.

The civic-run hospital is overburdened with patients. Many also come from outside Mumbai as there are nominal fees for the treatment. While it has a total of 1,623 beds, there are only 45 in the medicine ward. A doctor from the medicine ward said, "We have around 45 beds in the medicine ward but every day 60 to 65 patients get admitted. We don't have options and ask patients to undergo treatment on the floor."

Ramesh Rawani, 47, was admitted on Sunday but hadn't got a bed even on Monday

One of the patients arrived from Borivli and said he didn't have an option, hence he continued treatment lying under another patient's bed. "There is fluid accumulating in my abdomen and so the doctor asked to get admitted. On Sunday I got admission but still haven't got a bed so I have been sleeping under the bed on the floor. It is very inconvenient to get up but I don't have an option," said Ramesh Rawani, 47.

Patients are forced to lie on the floor even when they cannot do so as they are in pain. One such patient is Naseem Shah, 38, of Reay Road. He said, "I have severe stomach pain and there is some problem in my kidney. I cannot sit or stand due to the pain. It is very painful and difficult to adjust under the bed".

Another patient, Mohammad Altaf, 35, had been sitting in a wheelchair for over half an hour when thisreporter met him. He said, "All the beds are full. But I hope I get a space on the floor for treatment." He had arrived from Uttar Pradesh for treatment and was staying with relatives in Govandi.

Floored by the demand

Dean of the hospital, Dr Kalpana Mehta admitted there was an issue and said, "It is true that the beds in the medicine ward are full. We have more patients than the beds but we can't refuse any and send them back stating that we don't have beds. As a doctor, the patients' health is our utmost priority, and we treat them and manage the situation."

Naseem Shah was also admitted on Sunday but hadn't got a bed till Monday

A senior doctor from the hospital said, "A few years back the bed strength at the hospital was a 1,000 beds, then it was increased to 1,623. The patient load has gone up and it is the same situation in every hospital.

Medical Director of major civic hospitals, Dr Neelam Andrade, said, "After the Covid-19 wave went down, non-Covid patients are coming with health problems. We trying to maintain balance so that they get treatment which is our primary aim. Soon the bed strength will go up from 1,623 to 1,800 beds at Nair hospital. We are making the necessary arrangements."

45
No. of beds in the medicine ward of the Nair hospital

65
No. of daily admissions