Mumbai: Bhandup hospital delayed again, Mulund expansion on track

The ambitious multispeciality hospital proposed in Bhandup has been delayed once again pushing its completion by a year Initially scheduled for September 2025 the hospital building is now expected to be ready by May 2026 Meanwhile the expansion of MT Agarwal Hospital in Mulund is set to be completed by March 2025ldquoThese two hospitals were planned to reduce the burden on the civicrun Rajawadi hospital in Ghatkopar and Lokmanya Tilak Hospital in Sion Both Bhandup and Mulund hospitals will provide emergency servicesrdquo said a civic official from the Peripheral HospitalldquoThe delay in Bhanduprsquos proposed hospital is attributed to pending construction and environmental permissions While Agarwal hospital is ready some minor work is still pending the civic official saidDr Chandrakant Pawar superintendent of BMC Peripheral Hospital said ldquoAgarwal hospital is ready but some minor work remains Bhandup MultiSpeciality Hospital is still under constructionrdquoMT Agarwal HospitalAccording to civic records the expanded MT Agarwal Hospital will have 10 floors and cover an area of eight lakh square feetPrakash Gangadhare former corporator of Mulund West said ldquoThe hospital was supposed to be completed earlier When I questioned the authorities about the delay I didnrsquot get any answersrdquo He added ldquoNow I can only say that the delay in opening the new Agarwal Hospital is benefiting private hospitalsrdquoThe expansion project with an estimated cost of R470 crore was approved in 2018 The new facility will have 470 beds and 90 per cent of the work has been completed so far Initially planned for completion by June 2024 the civic budget presentation for 202526 has now set March 2025 as the final deadlineBhandup hospitalThe proposed hospital is strategically located It is within walking distance of Nahur railway station and is also well connected to the proposed Metro railwayAdditionally the hospital is situated along the upcoming GoregaonMulund Link RoadldquoThe hospitalrsquos location is a major advantage as it is easily accessible by road and rail The proposed Metro station will also benefit patients especially in emergenciesrdquo an official saidThe proposal for the hospitalrsquos construction was passed in 2022 and work commenced in 2023 The hospital will have 360 beds and the project is estimated to cost Rs 670 crore As of now only 20 per cent of the work has been completedMay 2026Month Bhandup hospital is expected to come upResidentsrsquo Concerns over delaysKavita Bhosale Mulund residentldquoAgarwal hospital is extremely important for the common people in the MulundBhandup area But unfortunately development has been delayed for so long Many patients especially the needy are suffering The government needs to take this matter seriouslyrdquo said Kavita BhosaleAdvocate Bhushan Bhoir Nahur residentldquoThe proposed multispeciality hospital is not just for the people of Bhandup and Nahur It will provide advanced medical care to the entire Eastern Suburbs But every year we hear about a new deadline for the project The authorities should consider the common man who relies on civic medical facilitiesrdquo said Advocate Bhushan BhoirHospital facilitiesBhandup MultiSpeciality HospitalThe Bhandup hospital will specialise in cancer treatment and include departments for neurology neurosurgery nephrology and cardiology It will also have emergency services and trauma careMT Agarwal HospitalThe upgraded MT Agarwal Hospital will feature modern facilities such as modular operation theatres medical oxygen systems and a pneumatic tube network It will house departments for cardiac surgery neurology nephrology ENT ophthalmology and general medicineOut of the 470 beds 60 will be designated for ICU MICU and NICU patients The hospital will also have advanced diagnostic facilities including CT scans and MRI services