September 15, 2025: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has given in-principle approval for setting up a new BMC-run nursing college and hostel near Bhabha Hospital in Bandra, amid a growing shortage of nurses in Mumbai. He has asked municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani to act on the proposal submitted by BJP leader and suburban guardian minister Ashish Shelar.
Officials said the college will be built on a 2,236-sq m plot on RK Patkar Marg, accommodating 100 students. The remaining space, after construction of the college and hostel, will be developed as staff quarters for Bhabha Hospital employees. Work has already begun with the demolition of the existing ground-plus-two structure on the plot. The project is estimated to cost around Rs 100 crore.
In his proposal, Shelar emphasized the importance of the project for both the hospital and the city’s healthcare needs. “[The nursing college] will offer much-needed infrastructure for the expanded Bhabha Hospital, which recently added a new 11-storey tower,” he said, adding that it would help meet the city’s demand for trained medical personnel. He also stressed that providing dedicated staff quarters would improve living conditions for hospital staff, leading to higher morale and better services.
The approval comes at a time when Maharashtra’s public healthcare system faces critical shortages. Last year, a Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report tabled in the assembly highlighted that nearly one-third of posts in the state’s public health and medical education departments were vacant. The report underscored gaps in both trained manpower and infrastructure, further justifying the need for new institutions like the proposed nursing college.
With the Chief Minister’s nod, the BMC project is expected to move forward quickly, offering a boost to medical education and healthcare delivery in Mumbai.
Source: The Times of India
