October 4, 2025: After years of anticipation and repeated setbacks, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Shri Harilal Bhagwati Hospital in Borivali is finally on the verge of completion. The Rs 500-crore redevelopment project is expected to be ready by November 15, with the hospital set to open for patients by December, bringing long-awaited relief to residents of the city’s western suburbs.
Redevelopment of the civic hospital has been a drawn-out process marked by missed deadlines. The project was designed in two phases, beginning in 2009. Phase one became partially operational in 2016 with 110 beds, two years later than scheduled. Phase two, launched in August 2019, was originally due in October 2022. However, a combination of contractor lapses, administrative delays, rising costs, and the diversion of manpower during the COVID-19 pandemic pushed completion to late 2025.
Despite the delays, officials said the expansion will significantly upgrade facilities. Design changes during construction have transformed Bhagwati into a modern super speciality hospital, featuring modular operation theatres, advanced diagnostic units, and a Cath Lab.
Once fully functional, the hospital will house 373 beds, with plans to expand to 490 beds. This is expected to ease the heavy patient load on civic hospitals such as Cooper, KEM, and Nair, while also serving patients from Palghar and Dahanu.
BMC Additional Commissioner (Health) Sharad Ughade said: “The full-scale operation of Bhagwati Hospital will help decentralise healthcare in Mumbai and reduce pressure on central civic hospitals.”
Several departments, including Medicine, Surgery, Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, and Ophthalmology, have already been revived. Over the coming months, super speciality services in Nephrology, Cardiology, and Neurology will also be introduced.
For the western suburbs, the hospital’s opening represents a vital boost to advanced healthcare access closer to home.
Source: The Free Press Journal
