Latest news with #ChandrakantPawar
Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
'Aspatal Bachao, Nijikarn Hatao': Hundreds protest over hospital privatisation
MUMBAI: Nearly 200 residents and activists protested in Cheetah Camp and Mankhurd on Monday, opposing BMC's plan to privatise two peripheral hospitals and key health services in five others. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A total of 20 participants also sat on a hunger strike near Maharashtra Nagar Maternity Home, demanding stronger public health infrastructure. The protest, the second in recent weeks under the coalition banner 'Aspatal Bachao, Nijikarn Hatao', brought together 25 civil society groups and political parties. Activists remembered local residents who died because of poor hospital facilities and shortages. In a statement, the group alleged that more than half the women who visit smaller facilities like Shahji Nagar and Deonar maternity homes are sent directly to larger hospitals such as Sion Hospital or Rajawadi Hospital in critical condition. 'Several patients die during these referrals due to lack of timely treatment,' the statement read, adding that the cost of travel, medicines, and tests pushes families into debt within days. On Saturday, TOI reported that the BMC plans to gradually privatise individual services, including blood banks, cardiology, and MRI at other peripheral hospitals, after a similar union faced protests when it tried to run entire hospitals on a public-private partnership. Protesters demanded the immediate recruitment at the Maharashtra Nagar Maternity Home, restoration of paediatric ICUs, scrapping of all public-private partnership projects in civic hospitals, and guarantees that no patient will be denied care for lack of identification. They also called for a citywide plan to improve govt hospitals and weekly meetings with the municipal health officer to address complaints. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now of the Jan Haq Sangharsh Samiti said the demonstrators met with Chief Medical Superintendent of Peripheral Hospitals Dr Chandrakant Pawar and were promised their concerns would be raised with senior authorities. Dr Pawar remained unavailable for comment till press time.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
In Mumbai, 200 people protest against civic body hospital privatisation
Mumbai: Nearly 200 residents and activists protested in Cheetah Camp and Mankhurd on Monday against BMC's plan to privatise two peripheral hospitals and key health services in five others. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A total of 20 participants also sat on a hunger strike near Maharashtra Nagar Maternity Home, demanding stronger public health infrastructure. The protest, the second in recent weeks under the coalition banner 'Aspatal Bachao, Nijikarn Hatao', brought together 25 civil society groups and political parties. Activists remembered residents who died because of poor hospital facilities and shortages. In a statement, the group alleged that more than half the women who visit smaller facilities like Shahji Nagar and Deonar maternity homes are sent directly to larger hospitals such as Sion hospital or Rajawadi Hospital in critical condition. "Several patients die during these referrals due to lack of timely treatment," the statement read, adding that the cost of travel, medicines, and tests pushes families into debt within days. On Saturday, TOI reported that the BMC plans to gradually privatise individual services, including blood banks, cardiology, and MRI at other peripheral hospitals, after a similar union faced protests when it tried to run entire hospitals on a public-private partnership. Protesters demanded the immediate recruitment at the Maharashtra Nagar Maternity Home, restoration of paediatric ICUs, scrapping of all public-private partnership projects in civic hospitals, and guarantees that no patient will be denied care for lack of identification. They also called for a citywide plan to improve govt hospitals and weekly meetings with the municipal health officer to address complaints. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Shubham Kothari of the Jan Haq Sangharsh Samiti said the demonstrators met chief medical superintendent of peripheral hospitals Chandrakant Pawar and were promised their concerns would be raised with senior authorities. Pawar was unavailable for comment.
Hindustan Times
29-07-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Hepatitis E is the primary cause of acute hepatitis: Study
MUMBAI: The monsoon tends to see a rise in cases of acute hepatitis, a liver infection accompanied by fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain and jaundice-like symptoms. Now, researchers from the civic-run Nair and Kasturba hospitals have identified Hepatitis E as the primary cause of acute hepatitis infections, in a study published in the Medical Journal of Viral Hepatitis. Hepatitis E is the primary cause of acute hepatitis: Study The study analysed data from 2,488 patients from Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra being treated at Kasturba Hospital, across three years. The researchers concluded that Hepatitis E accounted for 52.65% of acute cases, followed by Hepatitis A at 22.18%, and Hepatitis B at 10.56%. In all age categories, Hepatitis E accounted for the majority of cases. Overall, 66.1% of the patients studied were male, with the highest incidence observed among individuals aged 18 to 30 years. The study, published in January, was conducted by Dr Pravin Rathi and other doctors from the gastroenterology department of Nair Hospital, along with Dr Chandrakant Pawar from the infectious diseases department of Kasturba Hospital. The research focused on patients primarily from Mumbai and its outskirts, many belonging to economically weaker sections. Hepatitis E spreads through contaminated food and water, which is why cases of acute hepatitis rise during the monsoon. These conditions, as well as unsanitary conditions including the accumulation of sewage in open spaces, facilitates its spread. 'Acute hepatitis is a major public health issue in low middle-income countries like India¸ where there is also a significant under-reporting of instances. The precise global illness burden of acute hepatitis is unknown. Even though the majority of these individuals have viral hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis and drug-induced liver injury are on the rise as a result of urbanisation and greater knowledge of these conditions,' said the researchers. While Hepatitis A and E spread through contaminated water and food, B, C and D spread through blood and body fluids and can cause severe complications including cirrhosis, liver cancer and liver failure. The researchers also observed that with advancing age, the prevalence of Hepatitis A and E declined, and, on the contrary, the prevalence of hepatitis B and hepatitis C increased with age. 'Although 98% of acute hepatitis cases tend to recover, the remaining 2% are at risk of liver failure or cirrhosis, necessitating urgent liver transplant. The infection poses significant risks to pregnant women, with high mortality rates reported for both mothers and fetuses,' said Dr Rathi, head of the gastroenterology department at Nair Hospital. He explained that Hepatitis E can cause liver inflammation, which often resolves itself. However, individuals with weakened immune systems can develop acute symptoms and are at higher risk of developing complications. 'Gastrointestinal bleeding, anemia, low serum albumin, and presentations as acute liver failure (ALF) or acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) are independent predictors of mortality in acute hepatitis patients. Pruritus, an uncomfortable sensation leading to itchy skin, was observed in about 30% of patients with Hepatitis E, commonly associated with cholestasis (obstruction to the flow of bile), a consequence of the infection,' read the study. In the study, the researchers noted a decline in Hepatitis C cases, attributing this to the availability of effective antiviral treatments. 'Consuming clean water, either by boiling or using purifiers, ensuring no cross-contamination between sewage and drinking water pipelines, and avoiding street food, especially during summer and monsoon seasons is important.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
No public-pvt partnership for Bhagwati hosp as MP tells BMC to cancel tender
Mumbai: The BMC scrapped its plan to operate Borivali's Bhagwati Hospital under a public-private partnership (PPP) model after months of backlash from labour unions and opposition parties over fears of expensive healthcare. However, the civic body will continue with PPP for hospitals in the low-income M-East ward, an area with a large population in poor health, including Mankhurd's Lallubhai Compound Hospital and the newly constructed Shatabdi Hospital in Govandi. Dr Chandrakant Pawar, chief medical superintendent of peripheral hospitals, confirmed the Bhagwati Hospital decision on Monday. "Union minister Piyush Goyal told us to cancel the tender, so we did. BMC will be running this hospital on its own," he said. Goyal, who is the MP from Mumbai North, which includes Borivali, had earlier stated: "No privatisation of Bhagwati Hospital will be done, and services to patients will be offered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme . It will be run on a no-profit, no-loss basis by the BMC or a charitable organisation." Despite the mention of charitable organisations, Dr Pawar clarified no NGO or trust would be involved in managing the hospital. Several top private and expensive hospitals in the city operate under charitable trust models. Just last week, the BMC tendered another PPP contract for a newly built 580-bed teaching hospital located within the campus of the existing 220-bed Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya Shatabdi Hospital in Govandi, a decade after the plan for a medical college in the area was first proposed. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo All of these PPP projects have a term of 30 years in tender documents with a provision for extension for 30 more years. "We are moving ahead with the PPP model for Lallubhai Compound Hospital and Shatabdi Hospital. There is no such plan for M T Agarwal Hospital as of now. We have not decided about a PPP for Krantiveer Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Hospital," Dr Pawar said. Faiyaz Alam Shaikh, a local resident and founder of the Govandi Citizens' Welfare Forum, said Shatabdi Hospital is the only tertiary care facility in the area and frequently overcrowded and under-resourced. "Additional health facilities are needed here to accommodate more people. People run from pillar to post during critical medical emergencies. Models like PPP risk increasing costs," he said. There are more than 8 lakh people in the M-East ward and only one BMC-run tertiary care hospital. In areas like Lallubhai Compound under it, most are project-affected rehabilitated families. A 2018 Praja report stated the average family income in its slum clusters is Rs 7,802 per month. Ashok Jadhav, who heads Municipal Mazdoor Union, said, "We are opposed to all models where BMC hands over services to private players."
