Mumbai: 100,000 residents in Aarey have just one government doctor

The sole hospital in Aarey Milk Colonymdashhome to one lakh residents including the inhabitants of tribal hamlets slums and cattle farm unitsmdashis barely operational While Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC staff drop by twice a week to administer vaccines there is only one doctor on hand and residents report a dire shortage of essential medicinesSadly the present situation is no different from that of more than a decade ago There are 27 tribal hamlets and approximately 32 slum areas in the area along with various units where cattle farm owners and their families as well as staff members reside While there are a few small private dispensaries within the colony residents say a fullyequipped government hospital is sorely neededOfficials say the facility is not equipped to handle critical casesAarey resident Sunil Kumre the chairman of Navkshitij Charitable Trust said ldquoI have lived in Aarey for decades and the hospital was once the primary healthcare facility for locals In 2013 I undertook a fastuntodeath to draw attention to the hospitalrsquos deteriorating condition After this authorities assured us that the BMC would take over and improvements would be madeUnfortunately nothing has changed With over one lakh residents relying on this hospital emergency situationsmdashsuch as accidents or incidents of humanwildlife conflict including snake bitesmdashoften require us to rush patients to the BMCrun Balasaheb Thackeray Trauma Centre in Jogeshwari or Cooper Hospital in Vile Parle This delay can be lifethreatening It is crucial that the public health department takes charge of the hospital to fully operationalise it or at the very least convert it into a basic healthcare facility under the Aapla Dawakhana initiativerdquoThe crumbling faccedilade of the hospital PicsNimesh Davemiddayrsquos visitOn Thursday afternoon we visited Aarey Hospital and found only one doctor a pharmacist and a few other staff members on duty Upon entering we noticed that the hospitalrsquos condition including its structure was quite dilapidated with cracks evident in the entrance slab When we spoke with the doctor onsite he advised us to contact the Aarey CEOs office for further assistanceAn official from the Aarey CEOs office who requested not to be named stated ldquoAt the Aarey Hospital a doctor is available in the OPD from 10 am to 4 pm to provide medication for fever cough cold and other minor ailments For emergencies patients are referred to BMC or government hospitals as we are not equipped to handle critical casesrdquoHanif Khorajiya who visited the hospital recentlyThis newspaper has frequently reported on the challenges faced by patients in Aarey Milk Colony who fall ill suffer injuries in accidents or have close encounters with wildlife Such individuals often have to be rushed by their loved ones to the trauma centreResident SpeakHanif Khorajiya a local said ldquoI have lived in Aarey for over three decades and there was a time when the hospital was fully operational serving not only dairy staff but also the residents of tribal hamlets Now this oncevital hospital is in dire straits On Wednesday at 10 am I brought one of my workers who was unwell to the facility and we had to wait over an hour for the doctor to arrive because he was late There have been cases of snake bites where patients died due to the delay in reaching the distant BMC hospital The Maharashtra government should take over this hospital and ensure it is equipped with the necessary amenities so people donrsquot have to rush outside Aarey during emergenciesrdquoAarey residents speak on local hospital conditionsHanif Khorajiya an Aarey resident discussed issues concerning Aarey Hospital Sunil Kumre Chairman of Navkshitij Charitable Trust also shared insights on healthcare challenges in the area Videos ranjeetnaturehellip pictwittercomUwweFmetBGmdash Mid Day mid_day October 18 2024Tribal leader Sagar Kishor Mohankar emphasised the urgent need to revamp the hospital ldquoThousands of people live in the tribal hamlets of Aarey Milk Colony and we often lack the funds to shift patients to outside facilities especially at night when transport options are limited Establishing a fully equipped hospital that can handle emergencies would greatly benefit residentsrdquo Aarey CEO Balasaheb Wakchaure was unavailable for comment before press timeDeadly encounters with snakes in Aarey colonyOctober 2024 Gulab Vanjari a resident of Bhurikhan Pada had to be rushed to the Balasaheb Thackeray Trauma Centre in JogeswariJune 2024 Komal Gadekar Patekar died on her way to hospital after a snakebiteSeptember 2023 A 16yearold boy had a close encounter with a snakeJuly 2017 Yashodha Kadu 20 died after she was bitten by a spectacled cobra while she was asleep in her Jivachapada homeOctober 2017 A sixyearold boy a Vanicha Pada resident lost his life due to a snakebite