South Mumbai`s public hospitals were on high alert on Friday as the Maratha Morcha brought thousands of supporters to the city, straining not only public transport but also health services.
While the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had designated GT Hospital as the primary centre for morcha-related medical emergencies, policemen also took a few patients to St George Hospital for quicker treatment.
“There were huge lines of vehicles stuck in traffic at CSMT due to the protest. So, those who fell sick while protesting near St George Hospital were taken there instead of being put in ambulances or police vans and getting stuck in traffic on the way to GT Hospital. Though both hospitals are in the same vicinity and quite close to one another, today even that short distance would have taken hours to cross,” said Harsha More, an on-duty constable.
Sandeep Vaijyanath Gavane, 39, was treated at GT hospital with swollen legs after claiming to have cycled for 10 days; (right) Bharat Madhukar Muley was treated at St George Hospital after suffering from chest pain and breathlessness. Pics/Ritika Gondhalekar
More had brought Bharat Madhukar Muley, one of the protestors, to St George Hospital. Muley suffered from breathlessness and chest pain. “The doctors checked me, took my medical history and advised an ECG. The reports were not worrisome, but because of shortness of breath, I was kept in the casualty ward and given IV fluids and nebulisation,” said Muley.
Another 39-year-old protestor, Sandeep Vaijyanath Gavane, who claimed to have come on a cycle from Parbhani, was taken to GT Hospital by his friend. “Because of cycling for almost 10 days, my legs had swollen, and I couldn’t put my feet on the ground. The doctors conducted an X-ray, and the reports came back normal. They have done some more tests and based on that they will prescribe the medication,” Gavane told mid-day.
Fall from train
In one of the more alarming incidents of the day, a protester fell from a running train while attempting to get down at a suburban station. Identified as Shankar Mahadev Kate, the supporter sustained bruises on his arms and a sprain in his left ankle. Fortunately, no major injuries were detected. Fellow protesters quickly rushed him to the first-aid centre at the CSMT railway station, where he was treated on the spot without needing to be transferred to a hospital for further evaluation.
No major emergencies
Doctors reported that most health complaints were minor. “We saw protesters with sprains, dizziness and mild dehydration. But no one was seriously injured or required hospitalisation. In total, we saw six patients who needed OPD care,” said Dr Pritam Shilvanta, RMO of GT hospital.
Meanwhile, one of the policemen also had to be given IV fluids and OPD care after experiencing dehydration and dizziness. He was later discharged and advised to rest for two to three days, along with adequate fluid and fruit intake.
Patients delayed
On the other hand, those travelling to other civic hospitals such as Breach Candy, Bhatia Hospital, JJ Hospital and Bombay Hospital faced immense traffic hurdles and were delayed. Fortunately, no lives were lost due to the delay. “We were taking a patient from JJ Hospital to Bombay Hospital as the family wanted the patient to be treated there. Generally, even during peak hours, it takes a maximum of 20 to 25 minutes, including loading and unloading the patient and accounting for traffic and signals. However, today it took us almost one hour,” said Santosh Mane, an ambulance driver.
