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Home / Mumbai / Mumbai News / Photos / Thane: Prior to admission, undercover reporter `diagnosed` with schizophrenia

Thane: Prior to admission, undercover reporter `diagnosed` with schizophrenia

Updated On: 04 May, 2023 12:39 PM IST | Anagha Sawant

Asia’s biggest mental asylum, the Regional Mental Hospital, Thane, has always been in the news for the wrong reasons. mid-day goes undercover to show how any mentally fit person could be institutionalised by greasing the right palms at Thane`s mental health institution (With inputs from Samiullah Khan and Faizan Khan) (Pic/Rajesh Gupta)

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Asia’s biggest mental asylum, the Regional Mental Hospital, Thane, has always been in the news for the wrong reasons. mid-day goes undercover to show how any mentally fit person could be institutionalised by greasing the right palms at Thane`s mental health institution (With inputs from Samiullah Khan and Faizan Khan) (Pic/Rajesh Gupta)

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Asia’s biggest mental asylum, the Regional Mental Hospital, Thane, has always been in the news for the wrong reasons. mid-day goes undercover to show how any mentally fit person could be institutionalised by greasing the right palms at Thane`s mental health institution (With inputs from Samiullah Khan and Faizan Khan) (Pic/Rajesh Gupta)

A pre-admission Covid test is carried out on Faizan at the hospital’s pathology lab on May 2 (in Pic) Recently, a patient was beaten to death by the staff, following which a police complaint was filed by his kin. mid-day, while trying to uncover details about the case, stumbled upon far more sinister goings-on at the institution

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A pre-admission Covid test is carried out on Faizan at the hospital’s pathology lab on May 2 (in Pic) Recently, a patient was beaten to death by the staff, following which a police complaint was filed by his kin. mid-day, while trying to uncover details about the case, stumbled upon far more sinister goings-on at the institution

Over a long investigation, these reporters found that the asylum has been admitting perfectly sane people by certifying them as unstable for as paltry a bribe as Rs 8,200 mid-day’s Samiullah Khan talks to Sunil Shinde, a nurse who arranged for Faizan Khan to be admitted to the hospital despite a senior psychiatrist deeming admission unnecessary, on April 25 (in pic)

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Over a long investigation, these reporters found that the asylum has been admitting perfectly sane people by certifying them as unstable for as paltry a bribe as Rs 8,200 mid-day’s Samiullah Khan talks to Sunil Shinde, a nurse who arranged for Faizan Khan to be admitted to the hospital despite a senior psychiatrist deeming admission unnecessary, on April 25 (in pic)

A warden informed him about Sunil Shinde,  a nurse who allegedly has ties with higher-ups who could help him get Faizan admitted. Staffers also revealed that apart from Shinde, there were others who could arrange for admissions in return for money

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A warden informed him about Sunil Shinde,  a nurse who allegedly has ties with higher-ups who could help him get Faizan admitted. Staffers also revealed that apart from Shinde, there were others who could arrange for admissions in return for money

Samiullah (left) looks on while Vunjal and Patil are at work Also Read: Mid-day Investigation: For Rs 8,000, you can lock up anyone as mad 

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Samiullah (left) looks on while Vunjal and Patil are at work Also Read: Mid-day Investigation: For Rs 8,000, you can lock up anyone as mad 

The registration card bearing the name and number of the ‘patient’ (in Pic) On Day 2, the psychiatrist took down the patient’s history and provided his opinion on the case paper. The medical professional also evaluated Faizan (patient) and prescribed medication for a 15-day period. Despite Samiullah’s insistence on admission due to the patient’s aggressive nature, the senior psychiatrist deemed it unnecessary

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The registration card bearing the name and number of the ‘patient’ (in Pic) On Day 2, the psychiatrist took down the patient’s history and provided his opinion on the case paper. The medical professional also evaluated Faizan (patient) and prescribed medication for a 15-day period. Despite Samiullah’s insistence on admission due to the patient’s aggressive nature, the senior psychiatrist deemed it unnecessary

The hospital employees charged Rs 8,200 to admit the ‘patient’ but handed over receipts for Rs 2,050 (in Pic) On Day 5, after a conversation, Samiullah was taken to the admission file department located in room no. 15 of the hospital, where Satish Vunjal retrieved Faizan’s previous case papers. Vunjal, a peon at the hospital then took Faizan and the file to another senior psychologist and had some discussion with the latter alone. He asked Faizan to sit on the chair and asked for some basic details

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The hospital employees charged Rs 8,200 to admit the ‘patient’ but handed over receipts for Rs 2,050 (in Pic) On Day 5, after a conversation, Samiullah was taken to the admission file department located in room no. 15 of the hospital, where Satish Vunjal retrieved Faizan’s previous case papers. Vunjal, a peon at the hospital then took Faizan and the file to another senior psychologist and had some discussion with the latter alone. He asked Faizan to sit on the chair and asked for some basic details

After the consultation on Day 5, the psychiatrist directed Faizan to the last stage of the admission process. Vunjal then informed Samiullah that the admission procedure was complete. Then, the ward boy would take the patient into custody and transfer him to the allotted ward. Vunjal asked Samiullah to make the payment and asked him to step outside the OPD. Meanwhile, Samiullah asked the doctor about Faizan’s illness to which the doctor said that looking at his behaviour and it appeared that is was suffering from schizophrenia, a serious disorder in which people interpret reality abnormally

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After the consultation on Day 5, the psychiatrist directed Faizan to the last stage of the admission process. Vunjal then informed Samiullah that the admission procedure was complete. Then, the ward boy would take the patient into custody and transfer him to the allotted ward. Vunjal asked Samiullah to make the payment and asked him to step outside the OPD. Meanwhile, Samiullah asked the doctor about Faizan’s illness to which the doctor said that looking at his behaviour and it appeared that is was suffering from schizophrenia, a serious disorder in which people interpret reality abnormally

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