**Varsha Gaikwad Criticizes State Government and BMC Over Poor Conditions at Cooper Hospital**
After inspecting R.N. Cooper Hospital in Vile Parle on Wednesday, Congress president and Mumbai North Central MP Varsha Gaikwad launched a sharp attack on the state government and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), accusing them of “playing with the lives of Mumbaikars.”
Gaikwad emphasized that providing public healthcare is a moral responsibility of both the government and the civic body. However, she pointed out that several municipal hospitals in Mumbai are literally on “ventilator support” due to a lack of essential facilities.
**“Where Is the ₹7,000 Crore Health Budget Going?”**
Addressing the media, Gaikwad questioned the allocation and utilization of resources. “Poor patients are suffering,” she said, demanding to know, “Where exactly is the ₹7,000 crore health department budget of the BMC going?”
During her visit, Gaikwad was accompanied by former MLA Ashok Jadhav, Mohsin Haider, Ashraf Azmi, Avnish Singh, Mrs. Haider, spokesperson Sureshchandra Rajhans, Kacharu Yadav, Jaykant Shukla, and Neeta Mahadik. The delegation interacted extensively with hospital staff and patients.
Dr. Shailesh Mohite, Dean of Nair Hospital, who has been appointed to supervise sanitation and enforce staff discipline, was also present.
**“Rats Rampant, Six Patients Bitten in Two Months”**
Gaikwad alleged that the condition at Cooper Hospital has been deplorable for months. She said, “It is clear that patients here neither have access to proper facilities, medicines, nor enough staff. Even basic amenities are in disarray.”
Highlighting the dire hygiene standards, Gaikwad revealed, “The hospital is so unhygienic that rats are rampant — shockingly, in the past two months, six patients have been bitten by rats.”
Despite these serious concerns, she lamented that “the government and BMC remain in a deep slumber like Kumbhakarna.”
**“Stop Playing With People’s Lives”**
Gaikwad urged, “If this government has even a shred of morality left, it must immediately stop playing with people’s lives and ensure that all necessary facilities for patients are restored without delay.”
She further pointed out that similar issues persist across hospitals in Kurla, Bandra, Govandi, and Ghatkopar, describing the facilities as inadequate and the shortage of doctors as severe.
“Despite repeated representations, both the government and the BMC continue to ignore the issue. This is being done deliberately to push civic hospitals toward privatization. But we will never allow that,” she asserted.
Concluding her remarks, Gaikwad warned, “Public healthcare is the responsibility of the government and the municipal corporation, and we will continue to oppose any move toward privatization.”
https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/mumbai-news-varsha-gaikwad-slams-govt-bmc-over-deplorable-state-of-cooper-hospital
