In a first, BMC to set up porta cabin clinics in slums

The first porta cabin clinic will be operational in eight days in G(north) ward near Mahim Nature Park at ONGC area open plot

Mumbai To provide primary health care services to slums, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has planned to install makeshift or porta cabin clinics and polyclinics.

The porta cabins, to be set up under HinduhridaySamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Arogya Yojana, will be installed to expand and make primary health care services accessible to the community (Satish Bate)

The first porta cabin clinic will be operational in eight days in G(north) ward near Mahim Nature Park at ONGC area open plot. Some other locations identified are open plots at Shanti Nagar in Matunga, Behrampada in Bandra east, Bhim Nagar plot in Ghatkopar and Behrambaug Ajit Glass Factory in Andheri west.

The porta cabins, to be set up under HinduhridaySamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Arogya Yojana, will be installed to expand and make primary health care services accessible to the community and reduce the burden on tertiary health care hospitals like KEM, Sion and Nair.

Dr Sanjeev Kumar, additional municipal commissioner (health), told HT that a robust primary health care system at the community level is the need of the hour.

“Roughly 8,000 patients visit KEM everyday and 70 per cent of them come for primary care. KEM hospital is meant to provide tertiary care but a large number of people with basic ailments go to KEM. People don’t need to go to these big hospitals for primary care like fever, cough, skin ailments and other basic health issues, which can be taken care of at a primary health care level,” he said.

Kumar explained that in slums, people go to work in the mornings and by the time they return, all dispensaries are shut down.

“But the porta cabin clinics and polyclinics will be open from 7am to 10pm in two shifts so that people who come from work can visit as well,” said Kumar.

Elaborating on the project, Dr Mangala Gomare, executive officer of health, told HT, “We are first starting with 15 porta cabin clinics and 13 polyclinics. We are scouting for open spaces and putting up porta cabins and running the clinics. By this month-end, all clinics will be operational.”

Gomare further said that another objective is to include more comprehensive services into the clinic, where all kinds of services are free. “We want to give all kinds of facilities like diagnostic services like X-ray, USG, mammogram and blood investigation. These clinics will not be only available for minor ailments but even for maternal and child health issues. We will also make sure that specialists visit such clinics,” said Dr Gomare.

Dr Kumar had shortlisted more than 200 doctors for this project along with the paramedical staff. The fabricated steel structures are ready and will be shifted to various locations in some wards. The contractors have been appointed and the cost incurred to set up these cabins is ₹30lakh.

The doctors will be paid ₹72,000 monthly, with added incentives. The team will primarily comprise a doctor, a nurse, a pharmacist and multi-purpose worker.

“We need 600 sqft space to set up a porta cabin and we want these clinics to be easily accessible to residents, in close proximity to their homes. Also in slums, there are unqualified doctors but we will have qualified MBBS doctors and specialists. We have identified 50-60 locations. The main constraint is the availability of land,” said Kumar.