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The state government is expected to cut the bed and staff strength at the Nagpada police hospital by more than half, even as serious concerns are being raised in the city about the health of its 40,000-strong police force.
The move would come following recommendations by a committee set up recently to look into the functioning of the hospital. Last week, the committee submitted its report, which said the 114 beds in the hospital should be reduced to 50 and the staff strength brought down from 125 to 55, according to sources.
The hospital's honorary chest physician Dr J M Phadtare, who was a member of the committee, said, "We have submitted the report to the government and the government resolution to implement the recommendations will be issued in a few days."
Earlier, inspections by officials of the home department revealed that there were not more than 15 to 20 patients admitted at the hospital at any given time, leaving the staff with very little to do, sources said.
Predictably, the suggestions made in the report have angered doctors at the hospital. Dr Dilip Vaze, police surgeon and head of the hospital, said, "The police are involved in stressful work, like the detection and prevention of serious crimes. Medical facilities is therefore a priority for them."
According to a source at the hospital, the main reason there were few patients at the hospital was that the doctors posted there were trained mostly in medico-legal matters.
There were no doctors who were specialists in surgery or gynaecology, for example. Which is why serious cases cannot be admitted here.
Furthermore, there has been a severe shortage of medicines at the hospital for a long time. Patients are asked to get the expensive drugs from outside. Even routine blood tests cannot be done there, sources said.
The police hospital was started in 1905 with the idea of providing health care to police personnel and their families. It also provides health care to the State Reserve Police Force and the railway police. Up until recently it was well used. The number of patients have started dwindling only of late, sources said.
Those on the committee making the recommendations were Home Secretary Satish Tripathi, Joint Police Commissioner (Administration) D N Jadhav, Deputy Superintendent of St George's Hospital Dr G N Warhade and Phadtare.
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