November 21, 2025: Four years after the H J Doshi Ghatkopar Hindu Sabha Hospital in Ghatkopar West was demolished for redevelopment, residents are still waiting for work to begin on the promised facility. The hospital, which was razed in 2021 with an assurance that reconstruction would be completed in 30 months, remains an empty plot, leaving the community without its only affordable healthcare centre. Locals say that “not a single pillar has come up” since demolition.
On Wednesday evening, more than 150 residents and former employees gathered at the site—located just 100 metres from Ghatkopar West railway station—for a protest and signature campaign. They demanded that the Hindu Sabha Trust immediately restart construction, reinstate former staff who were promised re-employment, and clear pending dues.
The hospital previously employed nearly 450 workers, including ward boys, technicians and housekeeping staff. During the closure, employees were paid only half their salaries until their final settlements were issued after the promised 30-month period. Many say they were assured their jobs would be restored once the hospital reopened.
“We were clearly told redevelopment would finish in 30 months and we would all get our jobs back,” said Prashant Kalekar, who worked in the X-ray department. “But nothing has happened in four years. Many of us are also waiting for pending payments. We just want the hospital rebuilt and the staff reinstated as promised. This area desperately needs this facility back.”
Residents say the shutdown has deepened the gap in local healthcare access. “After Rajawadi, this was the only place where poor families could walk in and get affordable treatment,” said resident Kanchan Badhe. “Now people are forced to go to Sion or KEM because Rajawadi rarely has free beds.”
Protesters also raised questions about the trust’s internal functioning, alleging abrupt changes in trustees and a lack of transparency regarding the land’s future. A trust member denied the claims, stating, “Clearances and architectural processes have begun… Once the hospital is ready, we will consider them first for employment.”
Former staff say they will continue their agitation until a clear timeline for reconstruction and re-hiring is announced.
