Proposal to bring the hospital under BMC reaches committee stage, offering relief to hamlets facing snakebite and accident risks
Aarey Hospital in Aarey Milk Colony, which may soon be transferred to the BMC to improve emergency healthcare access for residents of nearby tribal hamlets and settlements. Pics/Prasad Khandagale
After years of complaints over medical neglect in Mumbai’s forested Aarey belt, the long-pending proposal to transfer Aarey Hospital to the BMC has finally moved forward, offering hope of quicker emergency care for residents of 27 tribal hamlets and nearby settlements who currently travel several kilometres for treatment.
The move follows sustained reporting, official scrutiny and repeated warnings about delayed treatment in cases ranging from snakebites to road accidents, with the hospital transfer proposal now sent to the civic body’s Improvement Committee for approval.
27
No. of tribal hamlets in Aarey Colony
Aarey healthcare crisis in numbers
27 tribal hamlets
Plus, around 32 slum settlements in the area
1lakh+ residents
Population dependent on limited healthcare access
Rs 1.10 crore
Cost of hospital renovation initiated after reports
30-year transfer proposal
Hospital land and quarters to be handed to BMC
1932 sq m
Total area of hospital and staff quarters
Why the hospital matters
Forest terrain
Frequent snakebite cases
Human-wildlife conflict
Regular injuries reported
Two-lane road
Accident-prone Aarey Mikl Colony Road
. Nearest emergency centres
. Jogeshwari Trauma Centre
. Cooper Hospital, Vile Parle
Travel delay
Critical in life-threatening cases
What leaders say
Ravindra Waikar, MP
‘There is an urgent need for a hospital capable of handling emergencies such as accidents and snakebites. The proposal to transfer the hospital to BMC has finally begun’
Voices from residents
Prasad Khandagale, Resident
‘We are glad the hospital may become fully operational, but it must have doctors, staff and anti-venom available’
Recent snakebite timeline
Oct 2024: Resident rushed after snakebite
June 2024: Woman died en route to hospital
Sept 2023: Teen injured in snake encounter
2017: Two deaths recorded in separate snakebite incidents
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