The Regional Mental Hospital (RMH) at Yerawada is in the spotlight as corruption has been uncovered in a probe initiated by a five-member committee appointed by the public health department in January 2025.
The probe submitted by the committee to the deputy director of health services, Pune, Dr. Radhakishan Pawar, revealed that over ₹1.24 crore in government funds were misused, affecting critical services such as patient care, sanitation, and food supply.
The report also revealed that 18 patients died between December 2023 and December 2024 after being shifted to private centers without justification. The report shows that around 361 patients were transferred to rehabilitation centers without any authorization over the past year.
The RMH, which spans 138 acres and has an indoor capacity of 2,540 patients, currently houses 992 inmates.
₹12000 for each patients to NGO
Health activist Sharad Shetty said, "Each patient that is shifted to the rehabilitation centres is allocated Rs 12,000, but what is the use of shifting them to the NGO if the hospital itself has all the services available? The food that is being served to them is of substandard quality, and they are forced to bathe in cold water during peak winters. Why were these patients shifted to rehabilitation centres? Especially when India’s largest mental health institutions have better facilities than a private rehab centre. An FIR should be filed against the officials under corruption charges."
Dr. Shrinivas Kolod, medical superintendent at RMH, said, “The mental health review board, after reviewing the patients, sends them to rehabilitation centers. We have requested a thorough audit to identify any discrepancies."
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