Walking Around Matunga

Medical Trusts in the vicinity.

Life in our city is getting more and more expensive. To quote the latest finding Mumbai is the ranked 17^th among the most expensive city to live in behind London at #1, New York at #2 and Hong Kong at #3. At #17 it is still ahead of well-developed cities like Berlin (Germany) and Johannesburg (South Africa). Not only is it becoming expensive in terms of cost of real estate (rental or purchased) but also in terms of cost of food, travel and medicines and in comparison to purchasing power parity (PPP). For e.g. what you get for 1 Rupee is far far less to what you can get for 1US Dollar. This means you need to spend much much more to get your basic necessities fulfilled in a city like Mumbai. And on top of that if you fall sick then you would end up spending even more to get back to normal. What with the trend of 5 start hospitals like Lilavati’s, 7 Hills and Kokilaben and the doctors charging a bomb even for just checking with consultation fees hovering around 1000 to 2000 per visit. This does not include the diagnostics tests or the medicines prescribed.

But all is not lost, you still have the vibrant charitable trust culture in our great city and more so in Matunga. Trusts set up by philanthropist communities like the Jains, Gujarati’s and GSB’s or charitable clubs like Lions and Rotary.

The oldest among these charitable medical centers is run by Lions Club near King Circle. Here you have Dr.Parikh the affable pathologist heading their laboratory facility and serving the patient referred to by the various specialist doctors and general practitioners (MBBS). They have great in-house facility for all the blood tests, urine tests, sputum and stool test required for proper diagnosis of the diseases that a patient may have contacted. He is well assisted by 2-3 interns who take the necessary samples, label them correctly for the required test. They also do the test along with him and then the reports are provided on neatly printed sheets. Over the years some of these interns after their training have succeeded in starting their own practice in the localities where they come from. This pathological Lab even has tie up with bigger Laboratories like Metropolis to whom they refer the samples for test which require specialized equipment’s.

Then there the visiting doctors and specialist who attend to patients in their allotted timings. You have Dr. Mrs.Ojha a leading general practitioner experienced for more than 30 years and attending to routine diagnosis of cough, cold, fever, nausea, diarrhea etc. Soothing the nerves with her clam demeanor and correct diagnosis. Then there is Dr. Mistry the old Parsi doctor and a well renowned Cardiologist taking care of the patient complaints from poorer section and providing them affordable medicines. They also have a fully equipped Physiotherapy department with UV and other equipment’s which help in fast recovery of patients faced with fractures or older patients whose joints get frozen due to muscular deterioration and lower joint activities. This is headed by Dr.Kinjal Gala. They also have a dedicated dentistry department for attending to cavities, root canal and dentures or implants for old patients. Few years back there was this Tamilian doctor Dr.Mani who used to head the dentistry department. I remember having my cavities filled with silver by him when I was I college. He was a gem of a person with art for communication. He would keep you busy with his general talks and stories while operating on you and you would never feel scared of the whirring drill machine in his hand. A lot of the interns trained under him today are operating their solo clinics in the vicinity of Matunga. Case in example being Dr.Mamta Choksi daughter of the Local Chemist “Matunga Kmist” who operated his pharmacy at King Circle from as long as I can remember. Now his daughter has turned it into her Clinic.

These and all other facilities are made available to one and all at very nominal rates. Not only the poor but middle class families living in Matunga take the advantage of these facilities as they are assured of best service with great equipment’s and correct diagnosis and treatment from the visiting doctors. As a result of the great demand for their medical facilities they have started a new center at Dadar TT opposite to Dadar Parsi Gymkhana. Here they have started consultancy facility with doctors in the field of Cardiology, Dermatology (Skin Disorders) and Orthopedic

Further towards Gandhi Market there is another famous charitable institute “The Manav Seva Sangh”. This center is run by a registered NGO and provides facilities to Senior citizens and underprivileged children. It was started in 1924 as a modest facility with minimum support staff. Today it has a 7floor building with a residential facility acting as old age home for senior citizens on its 4^th, 5^th and 6th floors. With clean and hygienic 30 AC rooms, fridge in each room, nutritional food and round the clock medical support, it offers the best experience for old persons who are left behind to fend for themselves when their own family and relatives fail to support them in their twilight years. On its lower floors there is a medical center providing medical facilities like Sonography, X-ray, Dentistry and other pathological tests at very nominal rates. Besides this they have visiting doctors in the field of Cardiology, Endocrinology, Diabatology and Physiotherapy.

It also hosts a club for senior citizens with entertainment facilities like Carom, Chess and cards. They also arrange excretions to religious places for small groups two three times a year. Sometimes they have special bhajan Sandhya where well know singers present Bhajans in their well-equipped hall to entertain their members. The same hall is leased out for Marriages which earn them additional income to run their facility. They also run a creach for children aged between 2 and 8 years staffed with ECCEd trained teachers. A boon and peace of mind to working parents in the locality.

It also runs an Industrial vocational center imparting training in courses like Architecture, Computers, Electronics (Repairs) and Mechanical for students just out of college to prepare them in their journey towards self-empowerment.

Another specialty medical center offering high end facilities to the middle class and underprivileged people is the GSBS Medical Centre at Dadar TT in the lane going toward Dadar CR Station and next to Hotel Ramee. This well-equipped center provides facilities like Sonography, Color Doppler, X-Ray both traditional and Digital (MRI), a dental department for implants and root canals. An Orthopedic department with facility for buddy strapping and ankle strapping for minor or hairline fractures and plastering services for major fractures. A special lab for complete health check including ECG , stress test and blood test with lipid profile , hematology, bio chemistry ( for blood sugar, Creatinine , Bilirubin and Culture test ). They operate a consultancy service center with reputed doctors in each field like Cardiologists –Dr.S.G.Karmarkar & Dr.Kachwalla, Oncology (Cancer specialist) Dr.Satish Rao & Dr.Sanjeev Karmarkar, Plastic Surgeon –Dr.Maksud Davale & Dr.Charudatt Chaudhary, Urologist –Dr.Manu Sobti & Dr.Prawal Biswas, Pediatric Surgeons – Dr.Sarita Bhagwat & Dr.Prashant Joshi and many more such renowned doctors are available for consultancy at very nominal rates.

With such facilities available at their doorstep people living in Matunga are lucky and well equipped to face any medical emergency better than any other part of Mumbai.

Kudos to all these medical trusts, their organizers, their support staff and the doctors who give their precious time and knowledge and salute to their dedication to serve humanity at large.