South Mumbai`s public hospitals were on high alert on Friday as the Maratha Morcha brought thousands of supporters to the city, straining not only public transport but also health services.

While the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had designated GT Hospital as the primary centre for morcha-related medical emergencies, policemen also took a few patients to St George Hospital for quicker treatment.

“There were huge lines of vehicles stuck in traffic at CSMT due to the protest. So, those who fell sick while protesting near St George Hospital were taken there instead of being put in ambulances or police vans and getting stuck in traffic on the way to GT Hospital. Though both hospitals are in the same vicinity and quite close to one another, today even that short distance would have taken hours to cross,” said Harsha More, an on-duty constable.