After years of complaints over medical neglect in Mumbai’s forested Aarey belt, the long-pending proposal to transfer Aarey Hospital to the BMC has finally moved forward, offering hope of quicker emergency care for residents of 27 tribal hamlets and nearby settlements who currently travel several kilometres for treatment.

The move follows sustained reporting, official scrutiny and repeated warnings about delayed treatment in cases ranging from snakebites to road accidents, with the hospital transfer proposal now sent to the civic body’s Improvement Committee for approval.