Connection cut over pending bills; SRA building the clinic is part of helps out
The Sambhaji Nagar civic dispensary at Kandivli East has been out of power for over a month and half
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has allegedly not paid the electricity bills for its dispensary at Kandivli East, due to which the connection was cut. For over a month, the dispensary has running thanks to the SRA building that it is part of. The building has given the dispensary a connection on humanitarian grounds.
Without it, the doctor, his assistant and hundreds of patients would have suffered. However, the secretary of the SRA building says they will not be able to provide the electricity connection for long and the BMC should resolve the matter.
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Interestingly, the BMC has been urging private doctors to treat non-COVID-19 patients and has even hired some to treat such patients, yet does not seem to care about its existing doctors like at this dispensary.
Many private doctors have closed their clinics due to the fear of COVID-19 and issues related to social distancing. The residents of Damu Nagar, Narsi pada and Hanuman Nagar therefore, have no option but to go to the Sambhaji Nagar dispensary for health problems. The doctor and assistant at the dispensary have been working despite the electricity issues since the past one-and-half months. At least 150-200 patients come daily to the dispensary.
'On humanitarian grounds'
"We thought the electricity would be restored within a week. While our residents don't visit the dispensary, we gave the connection on humanitarian grounds. But it is now one-and-a-half months. We can't afford to do it for long," said Suresh More, secretary of the adjacent Sambhaji Nagar housing society. The society had stopped electricity to the dispensary last week. More said, "There were queues of patients and in this scorching heat, it was impossible to sit without fans. So we again started the connection. But the richest civic body should fix the issue at the earliest." Residents of the SRA building fear action against them though the electricity connection was given on humanitarian grounds.
Pending bills
"The dispensary has one doctor, one dentist and assistant. The doctor treats around 200 patients daily as all the private clinics in the vicinity are closed. Other doctors visit on Thursday and Friday for malaria, diabetes, etc. But they have stopped now due to the electricity issue," said Surekha Patil, local corporator. Despite several calls, Sanjay Kurhade, assistant commissioner of R south was not available for comment. Vishwas Shankarvar, DMC, said he will look into the matter.
200
Approx no. of patients visiting the dispensary daily
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