The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is facing criticism after reports emerged that post-delivery women admitted to the Antop Hill maternity home are not being provided nutritious meals, forcing their relatives to bring food from home for the past three years.
The BMC has established around 30 maternity homes across Mumbai to ease the burden on major hospitals such as KEM, Sion, Nair, and Cooper. These facilities are meant to provide accessible maternal care and reduce pressure on larger hospitals. However, concerns have been repeatedly raised over inadequate infrastructure and basic amenities in several maternity homes.
At the Shashikant Sawant Maternity Home in Antop Hill, around 10 to 15 women are admitted daily for childbirth. According to reports, despite the requirement for postnatal women to receive a nutritious diet, including breakfast and two main meals, the facility has failed to consistently provide proper meals. This situation has reportedly continued for the past three years.
As a result, attendants of patients are forced to bring food from home, causing inconvenience and additional strain on families who must ensure timely delivery of meals throughout the day. Locals have expressed anger over the continued negligence, stating that it may also negatively affect the health of mothers and newborns.
Demanding immediate action, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) Yuva Sena office-bearer and Kasturba Hospital vigilance committee member Shraddha Waghmare submitted a memorandum to BMC health officials. She has called for a thorough investigation into the matter, action against those responsible, and urgent steps to ensure that nutritious meals are regularly provided to patients in maternity homes.
In response, a senior official from the BMC health department stated that the process of appointing a food contractor for the maternity home has been underway for the past one and a half years but has faced multiple procedural delays. The official added that the process is now in its final stage, and a proper meal service is expected to begin within the next one to one and a half months.
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