Mumbai, Dec. 29 -- With the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) poll approaching, residents of the city's eastern suburbs are banding together to seek improvements in civic hospitals and compel aspiring corporators to make health a poll issue. The BMC's push for public private partnerships (PPP) at Shatabdi Hospital in Govandi and the Lallubhai Compound hospital in Mankhurd has emerged as a rallying point, with civil society groups raising awareness, formulating a citizens' charter for health, and conducting a door-to-door signature campaign highlighting the pitiable state of civic hospitals and shortages of doctors and staff. "The western suburbs get all the attention, inspections and big ticket announcements. But in the eastern suburbs, we are invisible," said Faiyaz Alam Shaikh, president, Govandi Citizens Welfare Forum. "No political party, no MLA, no MP ever visits our hospitals or our neighbourhoods. We are now trying to channelise that neglect politically." The eastern suburbs - encompassing Govandi, Cheeta Camp, Mankhurd, Ghatkopar, Vikhroli, Bhandup and Mulund - are densely populated and include several slum pockets and colonies housing project-affected persons from all over the city. The BMC runs a host of hospitals here to cater to the health needs of residents, such as Shatabdi Hospital in Govandi, Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar, KB Bhabha Hospital in Kurla West, Maa Hospital in Chembur, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Hospital in Vikhroli, Savarkar Hospital in Mulund East and the Mansadevi Tulsiram Agarwal General Hospital in Mulund West. While infrastructure and services at many of these hospitals are poor, the BMC recently floated tenders to privatise sections of Shatabdi Hospital, the Lallubhai Compound hospital, Rajawadi Hospital and KB Bhabha Hospital. Anticipating a sharp increase in costs due to the privatisation, women's groups in the area are meeting aspiring poll candidates and conducting a door-to-door campaign to halt the move. "We are approaching aspiring corporators directly and demanding written assurances about prioritising healthcare," said Ratna Mane, president of the mahila mandal federation active in Govandi, Mankhurd, Cheeta Camp, Trombay and Chembur. "If healthcare improvement and stopping privatisation are not part of their manifesto, we will not vote for them." Mane said women's groups have collected more than 10,000 signatures so far, and the list of demands will be shared with BMC ward offices, the state health department and Mantralaya officials. The Agarwal genral Hospital in Mulund epitomises the apathy towards health they are trying to counter, residents said. Though a new building at the hospital was inaugurated days before the model code of conduct came into force, it remains largely non-functional, they said. "The old OPD (at Agarwal Hospital) is still running. There is no additional staff or advanced facility, while the load keeps increasing," said Sharad Barathe, a Mulund resident. "From Mulund to Ghatkopar, there are barely any general hospitals. This is why healthcare is our main demand from corporators." Civil society groups the Janhak Sangharsh Sangathan and the Govandi Citizens Welfare Forum are also conducting campaigns to make health a key issue in the upcoming election. "This election, votes will depend on hospitals," said Shubham Kothari from Janhak Sangharsh Sangathan. On Sunday, the Sangathan held a conclave of various organisations in the medical field opposed to privatisation, which drew wide participation. "There were municipal workers from hospitals, ambulance workers and many more who had issues with hospital infrastructure. We are working with participating groups to approach aspiring corporators and demand these necessities," said Kothari. The Govandi Citizens Welfare Forum is also formulating a citizens' charter with health as top priority, which will be shared with poll candidates, said Faiyaz Alam Shaikh. Residents, meanwhile, are clear about what they want and what they don't. "We don't want freebies," Mane said. "We want a guarantee of healthcare. The government should bring healthcare to us, we should not have to run from hospital to hospital."...