With hospital’s pay-and-use toilet shut for the last 3 months, visitors and relatives of patients have been forced to leave their ailing loved ones unattended and walk to the public toilet a kilometre away or defecate in the open
The public toilet 1 km away in Nagpada. Pic/Satej Shinde
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Ranjana Yogendra Nag knew the risk of leaving her ailing husband all by himself, but she just couldn’t hold it in anymore. The resident of Vashi walked briskly from the premises of JJ Hospital in Nagpada to the nearest public toilet — 1 km away — just to take a leak, leaving her tuberculosis-wracked husband without any help for over 30 minutes. Patients and their attendants have become collateral damage in the tiff between JJ Hospital and Naresh Malji Bhoj, the contractor of a pay-for-use public toilet, on the premises of the facility over pending dues.
The now defunct public toilet at JJ Hospital
The only loo at the biggest state-run hospital in the city has been shut for the last three months. Patients’ attendants are left with two options when nature calls — defecate in the open on the premises of the facility or risk letting themselves go during the 1-km walk to the nearest public toilet.
Hold or release
“The public toilet in the hospital was shut. So, I had to leave my husband and look for another toilet. No taxi was ready to take me as the toilet was just 1 km away,” said Nag.
JJ Hospital’s apathy for such visitors has driven many attendants to cast aside shame and drop their pants in full public view.
Ramesh Singh, a resident of Kurla accompanying his father-in-law who suffered a heart attack early last morning, said he held it in for eight hours before relieving himself behind the wall of the defunct public toilet. “I can’t help it. How can such a big hospital not provide a bathroom to visitors?” he said.
Often, attendants sneak into the bathroom of the emergency ward to relieve themselves, but that toilet is in such a deplorable condition that most still prefer to defecate in the open. During a visit, mid-day found that this toilet didn’t have water or electricity, and was clogged.
A resident doctor from the ward said the authorities sometimes break rules and allow attendants to use this toilet (meant only for patients).
Rent of Rs 21 lakh
The hospital land was given to Shwetj Deepak Clinic Service Cooperative Society in 2001 for construction of a public toilet, which handed the work over to Bhoj. As per the agreement letter (in possession with mid-day), the hospital said the contractor would have to pay the power and water bills, but there was no mention of a rent. Fifteen years later, the hospital has now asked Bhoj to pay Rs 21 lakh as land rent of the last 15 years.
Dr TP Lahane, dean of JJ Hospital, provided a year-wise break-up of the bill, from 2003 to 2016. For the 490x15 sqft land, he charged him Rs 15/sqft in 2003 that went up to Rs 47.05/sqft, taking the rent to Rs 21,58,314.
“But in my agreement, land rent was not mentioned. The hospital suddenly cut water and electricity lines to the toilet and handed me a bill of Rs 21 lakh. Even after paying R3lakh towards power bills, it hasn’t restored electricity. It is asking me to pay the water rent, but hasn’t sent me the bill as yet. How will I make the payment then?” said Bhoj.
The contractor has taken it up with DMER director Dr Pravin Shingare.
Hospital speak
Dr TP Lahane, dean of JJ hosptial, claimed he didn’t even know about the public toilet on the premises although the bill sent to Bhoj is signed by him. He then quickly added that the toilet has been shut owing to pending dues. He refused to comment further.
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