Health issues faced in Mulund

Be it the Western lines, Harbour lines or the Central lines, there is no escape from illness.  Mulund, one of the central lines areas in Mumbai faces an acute battle of malaria and the viral fever which is being mistaken as the deadly swine flu. Swine flu has already gripped the entire world in a state of panic, fear and apprehension.

Having visited Mulund ESIC or Kamgar hospital which is a government run hospital, there were a number of people wearing masks over their mouth. This hospital caters to around 500 out-patients, 200 indoor patients and 40 patients in casualty every day. Another hospital was the M.T. Agarwal Municipal General Hospital. This was an industrial worker’s hospital and catered only to industrial workers. There is a limited bed capacity and only those names which are registered may seek help here. Another hospital was the Gokul Nursing Home, which is a private hospital. 

The issue remained constant at these three places regarding the cases they received. Although there, were general cases as well, majority of the people admitted were suffering from the seasonal viral flu which gave rise to Malaria. Here they were treated for their symptoms like fever, throat, body ache, and headache for a period of approximately seven to ten days. Having spent some time in the private hospital and interacting with the staff and doctors there, it was found that Mulund was facing a severe problem of the viral fever and flu and malaria cases. Hyped up with the current swine flu spread across the city, precautionary measures were being taken at every hospital, and masks were being worn by the people there.  

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is taking all measures it can possibly take to protect its people from the viral fever leading to malaria. In fact, the BMC is setting up a scientific disposal facility for waste at the Mulund dumping ground. This biomethanation plant is planned to be set up and constructed at the Mulund dumping grounds which will treat wet waste and garbage from neighbouring hotels and vegetable markets, which will also produce 6 MW of electricity. Contributing to health problems, the Mulund Dumping ground has been weighting out the garbage from the Gorai dumping ground as well, where jus so recently 3000 metric tons have been deposited on the Mulund dumping grounds. The closing down of Gorai’s dumping ground- the first project of Mumbai’s for solid waste management, has initially started in 2007 and is said to be completed this year in 2009. This has escalated health and environmental damage, and without doubt has alleviated the problem of malaria in Mulund.     

As said by Dr. Harish from Gokul nursing home, “We are doing our best preventive measures to protect the people from swine flu, but our immediate concern is the treatment of malaria which is a result of the seasonal viral flu in the air. I have not treated any swine flu cases, as our hospital is private. There have been no deaths from malaria so far.”