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October 5, 2003 VNN8386
Bhaktivedanta Hospital Shut After Sena Attack
FROM MID DAY
INDIA, Oct 5 (VNN) — By Vinod Kumar Menon - September 29, 2003
A mob of unruly Shiv Saniks attacked Bhaktivedanta Hospital on September 17 and now the hospital management has decided to shut it down indefinitely. The closure has put the hospital's 450 staff members in a dilemma.
The seven-storey hospital is now deserted, with scores of policemen and security guards deployed outside. Here are the tragic consequences of the mindless violence of a few.
What happened?
Recently the Bhaktivedanta Hospital had a wage compensation settlement with its internal union, the Bhaktivedanta Hospital Employees Welfare Association. According to G V Joshi, the human resources manager, eight of the 292 hospital employees did not accept the wage settlement proposed by the hospital management.
The internal union employees had submitted a charter of 29 demands on behalf of the employees, pertaining to wage settlement. They had asked for a revision in salaries, DA, conveyance, house rent and other employee benefits.
The management had agreed to an increase in pay for all 450 employees by Rs 750 in the first year, Rs 50 in the second year and Rs 100 in the third year, though the hospital has been running at a loss for two years, said Joshi.
Suryakant Mahadik of the BKS and the eight disgruntled employees held a gate meeting outside the hospital on September 17, after taking the permission from the police and informing hospital authorities.
However, the BKS men barged into the hospital, breaking glass panes and damaging the staircase entrance. They also destroyed the amplifiers and other vital equipment. The handful of policemen and security staff could do nothing to stop the mob other than prevent them from entering the upper floors of the hospital.
However, Suryakant Mahadik denied that his members had gone on a rampage. He alleged that hospital authorities were simply looking for a reason to shut it down and therefore they had no option but to register a case against the closure at the industrial court.
According to Rajesh Talwar, chief executive officer of the hospital, a few days before the incident, a handful of BKS loyalists barged into the home of some of the staffers and threatened them. Others were stopped at Mira Road railway station and prevented from coming to work.
The victims
Patients: At the time of attack, the hospital had around 79 patients. Critically ill patients had to be shifted to private hospitals in and around the western suburbs. Dr Ashto Mathor, director of medical administration at the hospital, said the management decided to facilitate the shifting of patients under the supervision of their respective medical consultants.
Hospital staff : The closure of hospital has put 450 staff members in a fix. Nursing superintendent Kadambari Lad, who received threatening calls, left the hospital weeping.
Most of the nurses live in the hospital hostel and some have already gone on a leave.
"We have not yet started looking for a new job, but we will do so after October 4, when something concrete comes up, said a nurse, who did not wish to be named. Meanwhile, a few management and support staff have continued work as usual.
Pharmacy: The pharmacist said they have had to stop placing orders for new medicines. The pharmacy earlier sold medicine worth Rs 1 lakh earlier — now it makes nothing.
Hospital canteen: Sri Krishna Caterers have also had to face miassive losses since the hospital shut down. The manager, Chandras Shetty, said the impact of the situation is so bad that of the usual staff of 50, only 15 now remain, and the place now serves only basic items. Nervous creditors have be demanding their money too, he said.
Emergency medical van: The closure has also affected the hospital's mobile emergency unit. According to Mahesh Ghag, emergency medical service co-ordinator, the van used to attend to seven or eight emergency cases per day. "We feel sorry when people call for help and we cannot do anything," he said. |  | | Padmaben Shah has been forced to shift to Karuna Hospital, Borivali | Anguish of 72-year-old paralytic stroke patient
Padmaben Shah (72) was admitted at the hospital after a paralytic stroke. Her son Nirmal Shah, a textile engineer, said he had no idea where to take her when the hospital told him to have her shifted.
"Finally, with the help of a doctor we know, we managed to shift her to Karuna hospital in Borivali. It is because of few anti-social elements other innocent people have to suffer. It is unfortunate that another hospital had to shutdown due to a few people with vested interest.
 | | Arun Athawale | Haemorrhage victim was showing progress.
Arun Athawale (60) a resident of Bhayandar suffered a brain haemorrhage on September 6 and was admitted in the Intensive Medical Care Unit of the hospital. After a CT scan the brain haemorrhage was confirmed, said Suresh Athawle, a relative. "Arun was slowly responding to the treatment at the hospital but it was unfortunate that the hospital had to call for a closure. We have already spent Rs 40,000 on his treatment." | | Solace in spirituality
Sheela Ghuje, alias Sulakshmi, works as an assistant in the spiritual department of the hospital. Her job was to provide patients and their relatives with spiritual conselling. Now, however, she is jobless and spens most of her time chanting bhajans and offering support to patients who approach her. | | Flashback: Singhania Hospital, August 2001
On August 26, 2001, Shiv Sena activists went on a similar rampage at the 150-bed Smt Sunitadevi Singhania Hospital in Thane, after their leader, Anand Dighe, who was being treated at the hospital for a fractured leg, died of a heart attack. In three hours of vandalism, they torched the building and smashed ambulances, medical equipment and everything else in sight as terrified patients, doctors and nurses scurried for cover.
The Raymonds showroom was looted, then burnt. The godown of
J K Helene Curtis was burnt. The ambulances outside the hospital were emptied of their petrol. In all, over 30 cars and jeeps in the compound were smashed. Three Thane Municipal Transport buses just outside the gate were destroyed as well. J K Singhania's Dakota plane was also trashed and its propellor was smashed. | | The hospital
The 130-bed Bhaktivedanta Hospital is situated a few kilometres away from Mira Road station. It was inaugurated on January 11, 1998 and is run by the Sri Chaitanya Seva Trust. It is the only super-specialty hospital in a radius of 5 kms and caters to a population of over 5 lakh residents living in Mira Road, Bhayandar and Dahisar. The hospital has been able to combine modern treatment along with alternative therapies as a complete cure for the body, mind and soul. | | ‘They wanted to prevent a Singhania from happening here'
The trustees took a precautionary step of indefinite closure, as they wish to avoid another Singhania happening in Mira Road. Also they were against risking the safety of our staff and patients. The hospital has decided to pay salary of all the 450 employees till October 4 as we do not know what will happen thereafter.
Rajesh Talwar
Chief executive officer, Bhaktivedanta Hospital
The BKS has challenged the hospital's decision to close down indefinitely, before the Industrial Court, Thane. We have assigned our advocate to do the needful. The management has now decided to take appropriate disciplinary action against the eight employees of the hospital.
G V Joshi
Human resource manager, Bhaktivedanta Hospital
We tried to help the 180 employees of the hospital who visited our office and voluntarily became members of our (BKS) union. It is a baseless propaganda used against us by the hospital management.
Suryakant Mahadik
Shiv Sena deputy leader and president, Bharatiya Kamgar Sena
We stand by the management decision to shut the hospital indefinitely. The management has assured us that all the employees will be paid salary till October 4.
I hope the hospital re-opens or else we will have to search for a new job.
Sunita Kulkarni
Director, nursing | | |
© 2003 Mid-Day Multimedia Ltd.
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