Bhiwandi Nizampur Municipal Corporation Has Zero Ambulances For Emergency Patients
The Bhiwandi Nizampur City Municipal Corporation (BNCMC) in Bhiwandi does not own a single ambulance, forcing economically weaker patients to rely on expensive private ambulance services during medical emergencies. Despite managing a civic budget worth hundreds of crores, the corporation lacks any municipal vehicles to transport critically ill patients to tertiary hospitals in Thane or Mumbai.
The crisis is compounded by the fact that the BNCMC does not operate its own municipal hospital. The late Indira Gandhi Memorial (IGM) Hospital was transferred to the Maharashtra Government's Public Health Department in 2011. While the civic body currently runs 20 Urban Health Centres, one BGP Dispensary, 29 Health and Wellness Centres, and 10 Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Aapla Dawakhanas, it has no emergency transport of its own.
Previously, during the COVID-19 pandemic, BJP MLA Mahesh Choughule from Bhiwandi West provided a state-of-the-art cardiac ambulance to the BNCMC using his Local Area Development Fund. However, the vehicle remained virtually unused for nearly three years because the civic administration failed to appoint a driver and medical staff. Choughule subsequently withdrew the ambulance and entrusted its operation to social organisations, including the MIT Foundation and Yuva Indian Foundation, leaving the BNCMC with no emergency vehicles.
Currently, patients must rely on the state's free 108 emergency ambulance service, which has only two vehicles for the entire region. One is stationed at the IGM Sub-District Hospital, while the second, designated for the Kamatghar area, is stationed near the Kawad Toll Naka on the Bhiwandi-Wada Road due to a lack of infrastructure for staff in Kamatghar.
Dr Sandeep Gadekar, Chief Medical Officer of BNCMC, confirmed that the health department has no ambulances and stated he has written to the Municipal Commissioner requesting procurement.
Meanwhile, Riyaz Azmi, President of the Muztar Azmi Foundation, urged Mayor Narayan Choudhary to personally address the crisis, procure municipal ambulances, and operationalise the BGP Hospital at Mandai.
