A neonatal intensive care unit at the Bharat Ratna Indira Gandhi Hospital in Mira Road has remained unfinished for two years because an estimated Rs 8 crore in funding has not been made available, leaving critically ill newborns dependent on transfers to government hospitals in Mumbai, according to a report by Loksatta – Vasai-Virar.
The hospital, located in the Poonam Sagar area, is the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation’s only major hospital and provides primary treatment and maternity services. It is used extensively by ordinary and economically weaker families in the area.
However, the hospital does not currently have the facilities required for advanced treatment when the health of a mother or newborn deteriorates after delivery. In particular, the absence of a neonatal intensive care facility means that newborns in serious condition have to be shifted to hospitals such as Shatabdi, KEM and Nair in Mumbai, the report said.
The transfers add an inter-city movement to an already time-sensitive medical emergency. The report did not specify how many newborns have been referred to Mumbai hospitals or how long such transfers typically take. It also did not provide details of the current number of maternity beds, neonatal referrals or ambulance arrangements.
The municipal corporation decided in 2023 to expand the hospital to address the gap in treatment capacity. The existing building, which had a ground floor and two upper floors, was to receive two additional floors. Construction of the expanded structure was completed in 2024.
The completion of the building, however, has not resulted in the opening of the neonatal treatment facility. Internal works and the installation of the required medical infrastructure remain incomplete because the reported funding requirement of about Rs 8 crore has not been met.
The delay highlights the difference between completing a public hospital building and making the facility operational. For patients, the availability of a structure does not translate into treatment capacity unless internal works, specialised equipment and the associated medical services are funded and installed.
The report also indicates that the problem extends beyond neonatal care. If the condition of the mother worsens after delivery, the hospital likewise lacks the necessary higher-level treatment facilities, requiring patients to be referred elsewhere. The supplied report did not identify a separate completion schedule for the pending internal works or confirm when the neonatal intensive care unit would begin operations.
The next step is the release of the estimated Rs 8 crore required for the remaining internal works and medical facilities at the expanded hospital. Until that work is completed, critically ill newborns from Mira Road and surrounding parts of Mira-Bhayandar will continue to depend on referrals to government hospitals in Mumbai.
