A stretcher meant to move patients was used to transport construction debris during renovation work at Pune Municipal Corporation’s Kamala Nehru Hospital, prompting questions about patient safety and contractor supervision at the civic facility.
The incident was reported at the hospital in Mangalwar Peth, where renovation work has been under way for several months across all five floors of the building. According to the report, a stretcher normally used to take patients for urgent treatment was being used to carry rubble and other construction material.
The renovation is being undertaken by the PMC Building Department at an estimated cost of ₹12 crore. The planned work includes replacing windows, changing tiles in wards and external verandahs, addressing water leakage in the building, painting and other related repairs. The contract has been awarded to Tejas Construction.
Kamala Nehru Hospital receives thousands of patients every day, including seriously ill patients and people who cannot move without assistance. The report said relatives of patients often have to search for stretchers when one is needed. Against that backdrop, the use of a patient-care stretcher for construction-related movement has raised concerns over the availability and management of essential hospital equipment.
The matter came to light after Niranjan Adagale, an Aam Aadmi Party worker, took a family member to the hospital and reportedly could not obtain a stretcher. He then found that a stretcher was being used to transport construction debris and questioned the workers involved. The workers, according to the report, did not provide an explanation. Adagale has sought action against the contractor, alleging that labourers were being made to use hospital equipment for an inappropriate purpose.
The report also raised questions about the role of hospital officials and other staff. Doctors, employees and security guards are present at the hospital during the day, yet the use of the stretcher for debris transport was not stopped before it was brought to public attention. The incident has therefore become not only a question of contractor conduct but also of supervision at a municipal healthcare facility undergoing repairs.
Bipin Shinde, superintendent engineer in the PMC Building Department, acknowledged that Tejas Construction was carrying debris on a stretcher and said the practice was wrong. He said the contractor had been informed and that, because the municipal corporation was on holiday, a notice would be issued and action taken on Thursday, November 12. The proposed notice and action are the next stated administrative steps in the matter.
