Mumbai's civic-run hospitals are flailing and there is little surprise at the incessant complaints about poor infrastructure. This paper conducted a test drive recently, and found that despite Rs 2,000-crore spent on upgrading health infrastructure last year, key civic hospitals are operating without ward boys and are facing a severe crunch of stretchers and wheelchairs too. At one South Mumbai civic hospital, one ward boy in the casualty area claimed that he was the only person on duty that day. Our reporter witnessed a visitor transferring his mother to a stretcher he had managed to find, while another person had to walk to the casualty area to hunt for one.

At another hospital, the friend of a patient was told there were no wheelchairs or stretchers. The ambulance's detachable stretcher was used. At a third hospital, there was nobody to guide or direct the patients or relatives. While some hospital deans denied that there was any shortage, this paper's test drive proved that it is not just patients, but hospitals that need to remedy their ills. Civic authorities need to step in with urgency to check what the problem is. Why are there not enough facilities? If new infra has been bought why is it not being given to the patients? Some hospitals claim that they have enough facilities and manpower. They must then investigate the complaints of patients and relatives are. Are these facilities being withheld deliberately?