Thane: The delayed revamp of the Thane corporation-run Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj Memorial (CSMM) Hospital has finally gained traction after the state govt released the final instalment of Rs 213 cr for the upgradation of the facility this week, officials informed.
As per plans, the upgrade costing a total of Rs 273 cr was announced last year by chief minister Eknath Shinde following an incident wherein 18 deaths were reported in a single day at the facility. The makeover project is being done in two phases. The first phase includes relocating the existing Rajiv Gandhi Memorial Medical (RGMM) College, presently operating from the Kalwa hospital premises, and the student hostel, to Majiwada. The second phase will involve using the available space for hospital facility expansion, Dr Rakesh Barot, dean at the Kalwa CSMM Hospital, said.
Elaborating on the plans, Dr Barot said that presently the RGMM College operates from the hospital campus in Kalwa, which, along with the hostel for nearly 400 students, will now be relocated to a 12-storey and adjoining five-storey corporation-owned buildings, 3km away at Majiwada. The new buildings will be modified to suit operations of a medical college with infrastructure including classrooms, labs, libraries, among others, he said. Speaking about phase two, officials added that once the college is relocated, the available space at the Kalwa hospital premises will be modified and converted into special wards, add more operation theatres, and expand certain facilities like OPD, pharmacy, among others. The entire process is likely to take another six months, and the tendering process will begin after the poll code of conduct is relaxed, officials said.
