07 August,2026 07:27 AM IST | Mumbai | Ritika Gondhalekar
Pending work continues at the ESIC Hospital in Andheri, delaying its long-awaited reopening. Pics/Ritika Gondhalekar
The reopening of the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Hospital in Andheri has been delayed yet again, leaving thousands of insured workers and their families without a nearby tertiary care facility. Though authorities had earlier said the hospital would reopen by April this year, the project remains incomplete. Officials now say they cannot specify when services will begin.
The delay has also affected medical education at the attached ESIC Medical College, with students claiming the lack of patient inflow has reduced their clinical exposure. According to records, this is the fourth deadline missed.
Hospital authorities attributed the delay to pending work. "The work is still in progress, and we are unable to specify when the hospital will become operational," an official said. With no revised deadline, patients and students continue to wait.
Rajesh Pawar, an ESIC beneficiary, Andheri East
âWe had been eagerly waiting for the Andheri hospital to reopen because it is barely 15 minutes from my house. Instead, every visit now means travelling all the way to Kandivli, which takes over an hour and costs us both time and money. For patients who are already unwell, the journey itself becomes exhausting.'
Shabana Shaikh, Jogeshwari
âMost of us are daily wage earners. Spending extra on travel and losing half a day just to visit the hospital is a huge burden. We only want the Andheri hospital to start functioning as promised.'
Rajesh Sharma, former deputy mayor
âFirst they said it would start by January 31, then April 30, then June 30 and finally July 31. However, not even 50 per cent of the work is complete. They have failed to finish the work despite HC orders. We are now moving for contempt of court. In the last hearing, the HC also imposed a fine for not completing the work.'
