As Parel’s King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEM) launches real-time health portal, patients in women’s wards still battle broken mattresses and rude nursing staff
The same bed photographed on October 3. Pics/RItika Gondhalekar
KEM Hospital, Parel, has rolled out its upgraded Health Management Information System (HMIS) from October 2, aiming to create a single digital platform for patient registration, bed monitoring, medicine inventories, and operation theatre schedules in real time.
“The HMIS platform will provide doctors instant access to patient records, lab reports, and treatment histories, eliminating the need for physical files and enabling faster, better-informed decisions,” said Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Health) Sharad Ughade during a recent meeting. “Once the portal is successful at KEM, which handles over 1000 OPD cases daily, the system will be extended to other civic hospitals.”
The same bed photographed on July 6
But while KEM embraces cutting-edge technology, complaints from patients in women’s wards about poor infrastructure and staff conduct refuse to go away.
Mattresses falling apart
In the ladies’ ward of the CVTC Building, patients continue to be given old, torn mattresses. Many report severe discomfort, hygiene risks, and even bedbugs. “I was admitted for 17 days in June-July and got clean bedsheets just twice; the rest of the days I was using my own bedsheets.
The same bed photographed on July 17
The mattress sponge was torn, and I could literally feel the rods hitting my back whenever I turned,” said Renuka Jamdar, a patient. “The hospital does have too much patient load, and the government does provide free and subsidised healthcare. But does that mean that we should settle for such things? Is it our fault that we are poor and rely on the government for healthcare facilities?”
Sabina Shaikh, whose mother underwent a hysterectomy in July, added, “The bed was so bad she cried every time she lay down. The mattresses are torn at the centre where patients’ backs rest, and some even have bedbugs.”
Complaints against staff
Patients have also raised concerns about the behaviour of nursing staff in the main hospital building. “My sister, a medical student, had come to visit me and checked my file. A nurse saw this and began yelling at her, questioning what she understood. Patients feel humiliated instead of cared for,” said a patient. Matron Pratima Naik admitted the issue, saying, “The nurses do not change their behaviour even when we issue memos. Sometimes, even we feel helpless.”
Management response
mid-day had earlier raised the issue with the hospital in July, when Dean Dr Sangeeta Rawat promised resolution within 15 days. Two months later, the complaints persist. “We have changed the ones in the male ward. The ones in the female wards will also be changed soon. Everything needs personal attention for it to be done,” responded Dr Rawat. Ughade, however, assured, “The matter will be taken up with hospital management and necessary action will be taken at the earliest.”
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