With 47% jump in allocation, focus on health centres, yoga

The civic body plans to establish 100 Hinduhriaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray health centres. In the first phase, 100 such centres will be set up. BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal said, “This will reduce the load of patients on major hospitals and peripheral hospitals… and they can concentrate more on patients suffering from serious diseases.” In the second phase, another 100 such centres will be established.

The centres will be run by doctors and nurses, have medical stores as well as consultation rooms and waiting rooms for patients. Also, people would be able to undergo 139 types of diagnostic tests at nominal rates. Specialists and super-specialists from King Edward Memorial, Sion, Nair and Cooper hospitals will facilitate consultation through telemedicine.

“We are trying to segregate the in-flow of patients. We want to strengthen healthcare at its grassroots. For minor health issues, the public can undergo treatment at these centres. This will help the main civic-run hospitals to focus on major ailments,” said BMC Additional Commissioner Suresh Kakani.”

While health activists welcomed the move, they also emphasised on utilising the already available infrastructure. “The BMC always runs to build more centres but doesn’t pay importance to the existing ones. There are 211 health posts and 189 dispensaries in a horrible condition and running on skeleton staff. We need more manpower, not just structures,” said Dr Swati Rane, core team member of Janswasthya Abhigyan and visiting faculty at Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

To further strengthen the 16 peripheral hospitals, the BMC will turn Rajawadi Hospital, Bhabha Hospital in Kurla and Bandra, V N Desai Hospital, Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivali and Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya Hospital in Govandi to “mini colleges”. It is in the process to start Diplomate of National Board (DNB) – a three-year specialisation course at six peripheral hospitals – at these hospitals.

The civic body has also focused on improving the mental health of people. For the first time, it would establish 200 public yoga centres called ‘Shiv Yog Kendra’. These centres will be set up in public halls, BMC or private-run school halls and marriage halls among others. “If 30 people form a group and show or suggest availability of place, these yoga centres will be started at the suggested place,” said Chahal. “BMC will provide all required appliances – equipment and others – at these places,” he added.

Dr Rane, meanwhile, emphasised on focusing on improving mental healthcare at schools. “The BMC needs to focus on primary sections – fill up manpower shortages, improve infrastructure and go towards digitalisation.”