Thane: Kalwa Civic Hospital Criticised for Lack of 24-Hour Post-Mortem Facility

The Kalwa civic hospital in Thane is facing criticism for not providing a 24-hour post-mortem (autopsy) service, forcing families of deceased patients to wait for long hours.

At the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa, post-mortems are currently conducted only during fixed daytime hours (generally 9 am to 5 pm), and no facility is available during night hours. As a result, bodies of those who die at night are kept in the hospital until the morning for post-mortem procedures. 

Officials from the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) have said that the delay in starting round-the-clock post-mortem services is due to a shortage of doctors and technical staff. Despite repeated announcements over the past several years, the 24×7 facility has not been implemented. 

The issue has been raised multiple times in civic meetings over the last decade, but implementation has been repeatedly delayed. Authorities also say that in some cases, legal and staffing constraints make night-time autopsies difficult, further slowing down the process.

Due to this gap in service, grieving families are often forced to wait until morning hours to complete formalities and collect the bodies of their loved ones, leading to public concern and criticism of the hospital administration.