More than 20 women staff members - including doctors, nurses and class IV workers - attached to a civic hospital in Chembur are facing an inquiry for organising a cultural song-and-dance event in the hospital's out-patient department (OPD) and turning away patients so that the merry-making was not interrupted. The Diwaliben Mehta Hospital, popularly known as Maa Hospital, has an OPD of 800-odd patients, but that day less than half that number of patient were examined. While the OPD party took place on March 2, the inquiry report is likely to be out this week.

Hospital's Chief Medical Officer Dr Vikrant Tikone on Tuesday claimed that a substantial number of patients were treated the day the haldi-humkum party was held in the hospital. He, however, refused to share the figures with this newspaper. "I can't tell you the exact figure, as the matter in under inquiry. I have submitted all the records already," said Tikone. He added that such social programme are held every year by the women employees of the hospital. While previously these programmes were held on the terrace, this year the OPD was used as the terrace is under renovation.