Report received from Shubha of Jan Hakk Sangharsh Samiti, a constituent of Aspataal Bachao Nijikaran Hatao Kruti Samiti (Save Hospitals Stop Privatisation Action Committee)
On October 27, a joint press conference was organised by the Mumbai Municipal Mazdoor Union and the Aspataal Bachao Nijikaran Hatao Kruti Samiti, calling for an immediate halt to the ongoing privatisation of Mumbai’s public hospitals and health services under the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The event, held at the Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh in Fort, brought together a broad coalition of over 25 social organisations, BMC health worker unions, and public health groups.
Speakers at the conference contended that the BMC has created an “artificial shortage” of healthcare staff through chronic understaffing. Citing a 2024 Praja Foundation report, they highlighted alarming vacancy levels across municipal hospitals – 46% among doctors, 26% among nurses and paramedical staff, and 42% among labour staff – resulting in an overall vacancy rate of 36% in the BMC health department. In three largest municipal hospitals of Mumbai namely KEM, Nair and Sion hospital vacancies of Doctor Professors, Laboratory Assistants, Pharmasists, Operation theater assistants, X-ray assistants and Nusrsing staff vacancies range from 20% to 100% they pointed out.
Trishila Kamble, secretary of the Municipal Nursing and Paramedical Staff Union, described how this shortage has severely strained existing health workers. “There is one nurse in place of three in every ward, often no doctors allotted, and no crèche facilities. During COVID-19, it was public hospitals and health workers who bore the brunt of the pandemic — yet we seem to have learned nothing from that experience,” she said, referring to how in the COVID-19 pandemic, private hospitals regularly denied treatment to patients, demanding hefty up-front deposits and flouting government-prescribed treatment rates, or ultimately referring patients to public hospitals. Kamble and other speakers also flagged how the gradual outsourcing of staff is leading to the contractualisation of permanent posts. Since contracts last for limited time periods, typically ranging from 6 to 12 months, health workers have no job security beyond such a time period. Further, resources that were previously allotted to worker security and benefits are now being redirected to the third-party recruitment agencies.
Addressing the press conference Municipal Mazdoor Union President Shri Ashok Jadhav declared that their union and members will work with Mumbai citizens’ organizations against privatization of health services. He pointed out that huge vacancies not only create excessive workload on health staff but also adversely affects the quality of health service delivered to patients. Privatization of hospitals will result in extremely unaffordable medical care for the working class population of Mumbai. Private companies are interested in taking over municipal hospitals not with any philanthropic motive but with an eye on the real estate value of the land.
Dr.Monteiro representing Trade Union Joint Action Committee (TUJAC) declared that all unions affiliated to TUJAC will also actively participate in the campaign against privatization of health services.
Dr. Kamaxi Bhate, Ex-Professor in KEM hospital explained that in the past Mumbai health services were of extremely high quality and were a pride of Mumbai, with thousands coming to Mumbai for treatment. However, due to extreme shortage of doctors, nursing staff and other necessary maintenance infrastructure the health service quality is deteriorating.
“The public health crisis is entirely manufactured, yet it’s being used to justify diverting resources into public-private partnerships (PPPs),” said Dr. Abhay Shukla, AIIMS doctor and co-convener of the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan. “Would anyone board an aircraft operating at 50% staff capacity? Why, then, do we tolerate such shortages in life-saving health services?” In the press conference, it was also contended that the shortage of personnel was not due to a lack of qualified professionals but to intentional government inaction. The press statement noted that around 975 medical posts remain vacant in BMC hospitals, while Mumbai’s government medical colleges produce approximately 1,200 new MBBS doctors and 1,000 MD/MS graduates each year. “Enough doctors, nurses, and health workers are available to fill all vacant posts,” the press statement read.
Health groups also cited multiple instances of PPP failures in Mumbai’s health services. They pointed out that rates charged under municipal PPPs were between two and twenty-five times higher than comparable public hospital charges. A recent inquiry revealed that several ICUs outsourced under PPPs were staffed by underqualified personnel — even homeopathy practitioners — compromising patient safety. In one such case, an ICU contract worth several crores was reportedly cancelled after 149 preventable deaths were exposed.
Baban and Shubham from Aspatal Bachao Nijikaran Hatao Kruti Samiti explained how residents of Govandi, Mankhurd, etc. have already declared their total opposition to privatization efforts and have demanded immediate improvement in municipal health system. Hundreds in every locality have actively taken part in demonstrations and hunger strike actions. Dozens of meetings have been held in residential colonies of working people and they intend to intensify the agitation they declared.
According to the Samiti, privatisation has made health services unaffordable for the majority while worsening working conditions for health workers. Their demands to the BMC include:
- an immediate cancellation of all PPP-based privatisation proposals for public hospitals
- urgent recruitment drives to fill vacant posts across all categories
- a comprehensive plan to strengthen public health services through an increased budget that is population-proportionate
- mechanisms to ensure the social accountability of the health system through participatory governance involving the communities, health workers, and civil society groups.
To take this campaign forward, the organisations announced a citywide campaign demanding full social security and labour rights for all public healthcare workers, emphasising that the right to health is inseparable from the rights of those who deliver it. The campaign will include jan sunvayis (public hearings) across Mumbai to assess public health conditions and demand that political parties and candidates clearly state their stance on opposing privatisation and strengthening public health systems. Political parties supporting the campaign’s principles will be identified as “supporters of public health,” while others will be named “enemies of public health.” A state-level conference of civil society organisations, unions, and allied groups in Mumbai on November 30 on the issue of right to health as a fundamental right was also announced in the press conference.