A gloom has set in upon the staff of King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital, the biggest municipality-run hospital in central Mumbai’s Parel area. Everyone associated with the hospital looks dejected. Around 1,000 resident doctors work without adequate food, nurses fear for their safety as they file in, all norms of social distancing ignored, into packed buses meant to ferry them to their homes. Relatives of the COVID-19 patients admitted in the 3,000-bed hospital are terrified, some of them clueless about how to cremate the infected bodies of their loved ones.
KEM is just the tip of iceberg that is Mumbai’s overburdened health system. A video that went viral in the first week of May exposed the ill-preparedness of another large civic facility in the city— the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital, popularly referred to as Sion Hospital. The viral video showed patients in a Covid ward lying close to dead bodies wrapped in black plastic. A worrying situation as around 80 per cent of the symptomatic and critical patients are admitted in civic or government hospitals.
The conditions at KEM Hospital, says a senior doctor, who did not wish to be named, are worse than at Sion Hospital. According to him, the sweepers and class-four staff at the hospital have refused to pack the dead bodies saying it is not their job. “I have seen patients’ relatives carrying infected bodies without any protection,” he adds. “This is not only inhuman, but it also makes them highly vulnerable to infection.”
This story is from the June 01, 2020 edition of India Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 01, 2020 edition of India Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
BJP's Big Paschim Test
On paper, the BJP-RLD tie-up is a winner for the NDA in west UP, though the INDIA bloc thinks otherwise. The BSP's entry with mixed candidates can unsettle both alliances
Why Gen V Matters
The Way The 210 Million-Strong Generation Viksit Bharat Casts Its Vote Will Determine The Outcome Of This Election As It Has In The Past
Heart Stopper
Cushions with tales of beauty, serenity, art and nature
THE NIPPON NARRATIVE
Say konnichiwa to good design and sayōnara to bad aesthetics, as this apartment in Bangalore is a lesson in how to use Japanese design effectively
RURAL RESPLENDENCE
This second home in a small village in Uttar Pradesh brings to life the beauty and simplicity of locally sourced materials
Curves in the Right Places
Arches may be taking over interior design, but how and where you place them in your home can make or mar the look of the room
Marvels in Mud
Here's how this humble material is changing the way we look at eco-friendly homes in India
DESIGN FOR THE AGES
Five homes, five distinct design styles that help decode how to curate age-appropriate spaces
TAKE FIVE
FROM RUGS TO CUSHIONS, THESE DECOR PIECES WILL GIVE YOUR INTERIORS AN INSTANT MAKEOVER THIS SEASON
TRENDY TABLESCAPES
At the turn of the season, three fashion labels throw a soiree that is stylish, suave and sophisticated