In a first for the city, a state-of-the-art sports rehabilitation centre will soon be set up at the civic-run KEM Hospital in Parel. Spanning 15,000 square feet, the centre will offer cutting-edge facilities for the treatment and recovery of sports-related injuries, making advanced rehab accessible to athletes from all walks of life.
“This cutting-edge facility will be located on the 12th floor of our high-rise building and is being developed as a turnkey project with an estimated cost of around Rs 20 crore,” said Dr Sangeeta Ravat, Dean of KEM Hospital. She added that the bhoomipujan ceremony for the project was held on Monday, as reported by The Times of India.
The centre will feature gait analysis and training systems, muscle testing and training machines, and aqua treadmills, bringing comprehensive sports rehab solutions under one roof.
The centre is expected to be operational by August. The project has been funded by Vijaylaxmi Poddar of Balkrishna Industries (BKT), who had earlier donated a robotic arm to the hospital’s orthopaedic department.
“This will be the first-of-its-kind facility in western India, making Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital one of only six premier institutions in the country focused on sports injury treatment and rehabilitation,” said Dr Mohan Desai, head of orthopaedics.
Designed as a full-fledged sports science laboratory, the centre will enable motion analysis for athletes, arthroscopy, and advanced rehabilitation therapies. “From runners and cricketers to jumpers, we will be able to provide precision-based care using scientific assessments,” said Dr Roshan Wade, assistant professor and sports medicine expert, who will head the new unit.
Crucially, the facility aims to serve young athletes from underprivileged backgrounds who often suffer career-threatening injuries like ligament tears and knee damage but can’t afford expensive private care. “This centre is for them. We want to help them return to the field,” added Dr Wade.
There are also plans to introduce postgraduate courses in sports medicine at KEM Hospital once the centre becomes fully functional.
