The inspection was prompted by a complaint involving a patient who was reportedly brought to the hospital's casualty department at around 11:00 am on Thursday. According to a statement issued by Bhandirge, the patient's admission process did not begin until approximately 10:30 pm, forcing the patient to wait for nearly 10 hours before admission.
Bhandirge stated that he attempted to contact the hospital's Chief Medical Officer (CMO) to seek clarification regarding the prolonged delay. However, he claimed that he was informed hospital personnel had been instructed not to accept calls or references from elected public representatives. He alleged that such a response demonstrated a lack of administrative accountability and had the potential to adversely affect patient welfare.
Following the telephonic conversation, Bhandirge visited KEM Hospital at around midnight to personally assess the situation. During the inspection, he allegedly found that patients in the casualty department were waiting for as long as two hours even for preliminary medical examinations. Doctors assigned to examination rooms were reportedly absent from their designated duty stations, while Assistant Medical Officers (AMOs) allegedly took a considerable amount of time to arrive despite being summoned.
According to the statement, several hospital staff members informed Bhandirge that they do not respond to personal mobile phone calls or entertain calls from public representatives. He cited this as another example of poor administrative responsiveness within the hospital.
At around 1:30 am, Bhandirge held a discussion with KEM Hospital Dean Dr. Harish Pathak regarding the challenges faced by the institution. During the meeting, the Dean highlighted the increasing number of patients visiting the hospital and the mounting pressure on the available medical workforce. While acknowledging the growing burden on civic hospitals, Bhandirge maintained that rising patient volumes could not be used as a justification for deficiencies in healthcare services. He stressed the need for improved planning, adequate deployment of medical personnel, and stronger administrative accountability to ensure that patient care is not compromised.
Following the inspection, Bhandirge called for a comprehensive inquiry into the alleged lapses and urged the hospital administration to identify those responsible. He also demanded an immediate review of the emergency department's functioning, the deployment of additional medical staff wherever necessary, and significant improvements in patient assistance and communication systems.
Emphasising the critical role of municipal hospitals in providing healthcare to millions of citizens, Bhandirge stated that every patient deserves timely, dignified, and quality medical treatment. He warned that negligence within public healthcare services would not be tolerated and called for immediate corrective measures to restore accountability and improve patient care at one of Mumbai's busiest public hospitals.
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