18 Patients From Yerawada Regional Mental Hospital Die After Unjustified Transfers To Private Centers | Sourced
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
Health activist Sharad Shetty said, “The state government has allocated ₹12,000 for every patient at RMH for their care, but the kind of facilities they are receiving is questionable. 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 centers, especially when India’s largest mental health institutions have better facilities than a private rehab center? 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.”
