Kalwa Hospital revamp stalled by funding delay

THANE: A year after the promised revamp and capacity augmentation of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Memorial Hospital (CSMMH) was announced by the Thane Municipal Corporation, the project continues to remain on paper as the state government is yet to release the promised funds, officials informed.
It may be recalled that Thane Municipal Commissioner Abhijit Bangar, following approval from Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, had last year announced the capacity augmentation of the hospital from the existing 500 to 1,000 beds following an incident where 18 deaths were reported within a day at the facility.
According to the plans, the medical college campus was to be relocated from the existing hospital campus in Kalwa to an independent 12-storeyed building and the post-Covid centre located three kilometres away in Majiwada. This relocation, officials said, would create additional space at the Kalwa hospital and increase its patient holding capacity. Furthermore, the corporation was also planning to remodel the existing layout, optimize available space, and undertake structural repairs.
A proposal was also sent to the Urban Development Department by the Municipal Public Works Department, but even a year later, the project, estimated to cost Rs 136 crore, is yet to commence as the state government hasn't released the funds. "We have written to the State Urban Development-2 Department regarding the release of the funds and are expecting them to be released soon," said the official.
When contacted, Dr Rakesh Barot, Dean at the CSMMH, confirmed the developments but declined to elaborate further.
It may be noted that the CSMM Hospital, located along the Thane Belapur Highway, is the only fully-fledged operating municipal hospital in Thane Corporation limits. The hospital caters to over 1,200 OPD patients in addition to scores of patients from the city, suburbs, various corners of the district, and the neighbouring region.
A former NCP corporator said that the situation at the hospital has not improved at all despite all the attention and promises made after the August 13 incident. "Facilities like medical stores and laboratories are ill-equipped, outsourced, or shut, while many costly machines are still inoperative. Often, patients are referred to Mumbai hospitals. We have been asking for the facility to be handed over to the state," he said.