Ailing Hospitals Part 9: Overburdened And Understaffed, Cooper Hospital In Western Suburbs Crippled

Mumbai: Madhuri Mandal, a relative of a patient admitted at Dr. R. N. Cooper Municipal General Hospital in Juhu, Vile Parle (West), argued with a security guard after she forgot to carry the access slip while taking food for her patient. The guard insisted that the slip was mandatory to enter the ward, but when Mandal tried to explain, the matter turned heated and both sides allegedly abused each other.

Daily Clashes Between Relatives and Security Guards

Such arguments are common at Cooper Hospital, happening almost every half an hour at the main lobby. Relatives often ask for some sympathy, but security guards stick to the rules. Many times, the guards are also seen struggling to control crowds when tempers rise and chaos breaks out.

High Patient Load Strains Hospital Services

The huge pressure on the hospital has made it difficult for staff to provide basic services, often leading to rude behaviour with patients. Cooper Hospital handles more than 7,50,000 outpatients every year, which means over 2,000 people come daily for consultations, treatment, or follow-ups. This heavy rush has clearly strained the hospital’s system.

Western Suburbs Depend Heavily on Cooper Hospital

Dr. R. N. Cooper Municipal General Hospital, popularly called Cooper Hospital, is one of Mumbai’s busiest civic hospitals. It serves not only the western suburbs but also patients from other parts of Mumbai and nearby districts. Its main service areas include Vile Parle, Juhu, Santacruz, and Andheri, but patients also come from Khar, Bandra, and Jogeshwari. Slum areas like Nehru Nagar in Santacruz, Bharat Nagar in Bandra, Gilbert Hill in Andheri, and Bhagat Singh Nagar in Jogeshwari further add to the load.

People visiting the hospital from different parts of Mumbai

The hospital’s closeness to both the domestic and international airports makes it important for emergencies, while many accident and trauma cases from the Western Express Highway are also brought here. Serving middle-class, wealthy, and poor families alike, Cooper Hospital has become a major health centre for Mumbai’s western suburbs.

Infrastructure Growth Fails to Match Patient Rush

The hospital has expanded in the past, most notably in 2013 when a new building opened. At present, Cooper has 715 beds, of which 40 are for critical care. Still, the burden is too high. Every morning, long queues can be seen at registration counters, where patients wait hours just to get a hospital ID before meeting a doctor. In the first week of September, when about 15 contract staff did not report for duty after their contracts ended, queues stretched up to the main gate. Patients had to wait for hours only for registration.

A large number of patients alleged that lab tests get delayed, radiology appointments take longer, and follow-ups stretch beyond the advised time. The shortage of manpower even affected disability OPD services, which had to stop new patient intake for two weeks. Doctors said it was impossible to register new disability patients without assistants. “We have ensured that the services for existing patients would continue,” stated hospital administration.

This has affected residents in the western suburbs seeking new Unique Disability IDs. Chandrashekhar Rohidas, who is partially visually challenged, said he had to travel all the way to J. J. Hospital in Byculla to obtain the card. The Unique Disability ID is essential for availing benefits under various government schemes.

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Staff Shortages Disrupt Critical Services

If infrastructure and patient rush are serious concerns, staff shortage has become the hospital’s biggest problem. As early as 2017, around 300 of the 1,296 approved posts were lying vacant, affecting doctors, nurses, and support staff. The situation has not improved much.

As recently as September 2025, Cooper’s medical staff highlighted the severe manpower shortage, warning that important services may be disrupted. The missing staff list is long—assistant medical officers, medical officers, registration clerks, X-ray technicians, pharmacists, ambulance staff, and dressers. “Each of these roles is vital for smooth functioning, and without them, existing staff face double or triple work. Doctors rush consultations, nurses juggle clinical and administrative duties, and technical staff are stretched across multiple shifts,” said a resident doctor, who wished not to be named.

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To deal with the shortage, the BMC has relied heavily on contract workers. While this helps for a short time, it brings instability. Many contract workers get delayed salaries, no job security, and no benefits, which lowers morale. The system also collapses whenever contracts expire or renewals are delayed. This was seen in September 2025, when registration almost stopped due to lapsed contracts. Nurses had to leave medical duties to manage patient registrations, showing how fragile the system is

Hygiene and Waste Management Under Scrutiny

Apart from staffing, Cooper Hospital faces repeated issues with hygiene and waste management. Cleanliness in wards, ICUs, and operation theatres is vital to prevent infections, but lapses are often reported. A shocking video from the female general ward of Cooper Hospital had surfaced in the first week of September showing rats inside the ward. The footage, recorded by a patient, captured at least two rats moving around the ward, including one crawling on the bed of a woman who was asleep.

Unhygienic garbage disposal

In addition, biomedical waste is not always properly segregated, creating risks for patients and staff. Even a heap of biomedical waste was seen, just opposite the mortuary. The problem became so serious that in August 2025, the BMC had to form a special committee to monitor cleanliness and waste disposal at the hospital. While needed, the step also showed how regular systems had failed.

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BMC Steps In With Special Committee

Dr. Neelam Andrade, Director of BMC Hospitals and Acting Dean of Cooper Hospital, confirmed that a committee has been formed to oversee cleanliness drives. “The contractual staff will be given an extension for the interim period,” she said. In addition, the BMW (Biomedical Waste Management) agency has been engaged for daily debris clearance, and staff have been instructed to strictly segregate waste in colour-coded bags.

Patients and Families Bear the Brunt of System Failures

For patients and their families, these problems mean daily struggles. Manzoor Alam, a resident of Bharat Nagar in Vile Parle, said that from the moment he entered the hospital, he faced long queues, confusion, and little guidance. “I could not get regular updates on my relatives in the ICU because doctors and nurses were too overworked,” he said. For poor families who cannot afford private hospitals, such obstacles feel even harsher.