Mumbai Civic Hospital Turns Away Patients Because Doctors And Nurses Were Busy Dancing!

More than 20 women staff members - including doctors, nurses and class IV workers - attached to a civic hospital in Chembur are facing an inquiry for organising a cultural song-and-dance event in the hospital's out-patient department (OPD) and turning away patients so that the merry-making was not interrupted.

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The Diwaliben Mehta Hospital, popularly known as Maa Hospital, has an OPD of 800-odd patients, but that day less than half that number of patient were examined. While the OPD party took place on March 2, the inquiry report is likely to be out this week.

Mumbai Mirror

An anonymous complaint with a video of all the revelry during a 'haldi kumkum' event, in which employees' children too participated, was received by the BMC's health department a few days after the event.

The complaint alleged that preparation for the programme held on the first-floor OPD began at 10 am that day, with staff members putting up speakers, arranging for snacks and decorating the walls. By noon, the OPD had been turned into a dance floor with employees dancing to popular beats of Shanta Bai, and Rickshawala. There were several solo performances too. "Patients who came by were diverted to the ground floor OPD and asked to return the next day," the complaint said.

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While the hospital's OPD on the ground floor handles routine cold-and-cough sort of cases, surgical, paediatric, skin, and gynaecology OPDs operate out of the first floor.

The complaint alleged that the day the party took place, only 377 patients were examined between the two OPDs as against more than 800 examined on other days. The complaint also said that while hospitals are silent zones, the women were dancing on very loud music. Of the hospital's 80 beds, nearly half are occupied on any given day.

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Hospital's Chief Medical Officer Dr Vikrant Tikone on Tuesday claimed that a substantial number of patients were treated the day the haldi-humkum party was held in the hospital. He, however, refused to share the figures with this newspaper. "I can't tell you the exact figure, as the matter in under inquiry. I have submitted all the records already," said Tikone. He added that such social programme are held every year by the women employees of the hospital. While previously these programmes were held on the terrace, this year the OPD was used as the terrace is under renovation.

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Dr Usha Sharma from BMC-run hospital in Vikhroli is conducting the inquiry. She, however, refused to share her findings. "I cannot reveal anything. I will submit the report in a day or two," Sharma said.

The women who participated in the programme claimed that not a single patient was inconvenienced. "We started out programme only after 2 pm when the OPDs were over. Also, the operation theatres in the hospital are not functional due to which the surgical and gynaecology OPD barely get any patients," said one staff member on the condition of anonymity.

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Another employee said that the complaint was filed by a man who is facing sexual harassment charges and was trying to get back at the women employees who have spoken against him. "The programme got everyone together. From doctors to class IV workers everyone participated. All organisations are allowed to have such social get-togethers," she said, adding that it was a 'women's only' programme and that all male employees were at work.