The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday launched a dedicated gastroenterology outpatient department (OPD) at Dr RN Cooper Hospital in Vile Parle, aiming to enhance specialised care for liver, stomach, and intestinal disorders in the city’s western suburbs.
With this launch, Cooper Hospital becomes the first BMC-run facility in both eastern and western suburbs of Mumbai to offer specialised gastroenterology services.
The new OPD was inaugurated on Wednesday by Dr Shailesh Mohite, Dean of Nair Hospital and a member of Cooper Hospital’s supervisory committee. The service has been introduced under the guidance of additional municipal commissioner (western suburbs), along with the support of Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Public Health) Sharad Ughade and Dr Neelam Andrade, Director (Medical Education and Major Hospitals).
The OPD will be operated every Wednesday from 1 pm to 3 pm and be led by eminent gastroenterologists Dr Jayant Barve and Dr Shobhana Bhatia, who have been appointed as honorary super-specialist consultants. Dr Barve brings over four decades of experience in treating gastrointestinal conditions, while Dr Bhatia is a former head of department at BMC-run KEM Hospital.
The launch comes at a time when lifestyle-related digestive issues are on the rise due to fast-paced urban living and dietary changes. Through services like endoscopy, early diagnosis and treatment will become more accessible to patients, especially from economically weaker sections.
“This initiative will also serve as a training ground for postgraduate students, who will benefit from the guidance of senior specialists and acquire modern clinical skills,” said a senior BMC official.
