One of the largest civic-run TB hospitals in the city hasn’t been treating paediatric patients for the last three years. The Sewri TB hospital is one of the biggest dedicated TB hospitals in Asia, with a capacity of around 1,000 beds. At any time, the hospital has around 350 to 400 patients receiving treatment. But, the hospital hasn’t taken in a single paediatric patient since 2019.

According to authorities, the hospital used to have a six-bedded ward for paediatric patients, but in 2020, after the building went under renovation, it was shut down. Ganesh Acharya, activist and member of Mumbai TB Collective, a group that advocates for TB patients said, “A month ago, we tried getting an 11-year-old girl admitted to the hospital, but the staff refused. Since her condition was deteriorating, we admitted her to Wadia Hospital.”