Push to strengthen health infrastructure in peripheral hospitals

Preventive health care is another focal area and the budget speech repeatedly mentioned screening citizens for non-communicable diseases with the intention of reducing the morbidity and mortality due to diabetes, hypertension, cancer and mental health issues

Mumbai: Considering that a majority of Mumbaiites live in the suburbs, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) health budget for the financial year 2023-24, is all about strengthening the health infrastructure in peripheral hospitals. Preventive health care is another focal area and the budget speech repeatedly mentioned screening citizens for non-communicable diseases with the intention of reducing the morbidity and mortality due to diabetes, hypertension, cancer and mental health issues.

Push to strengthen health infrastructure in peripheral hospitals

The BMC has allotted ₹6,309.38 crore to the various health infrastructure projects that are underway or planned. This is 12% of the total budget, as opposed to 15% of last year’s budget at ₹6,934 crore. A major chunk of this budget will be used on constructing new hospitals or redeveloping existing ones, especially in the peripheral hospitals located in the suburbs. A pet project of the BMC, Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray - Aapla Dawakhanas, have been allocated ₹75 crore.

While the health activists have all welcomed the step of creating a better equipped network of peripheral hospitals, they also speak about a few areas in the health sector that could be strengthened. One activist, who did not wish to be named, pointed out how there is no budgetary overlay for the secondary and tertiary hospitals.

“Equal focus on secondary and tertiary healthcare would have been a better way to move forward. I see no mega interventions in the tertiary institutions. The union government is asking local governments to focus on health research which also is not a part of BMC’s agenda,” he said.

Vibhuti Patel, managing trustee of Anusandhan Trust said that despite being an essential part of the health initiatives, the ASHA workers and community health workers are a neglected lot.

“All the non-communicable diseases screening activities of the civic body are dependent on them but they don’t even get decent wages,” she said. Appreciative of the mental health screening initiative, she said that the BMC should work on upscaling the Dilaasa model, a psychological support centre for survivors of domestic and gender-based violence, currently only being run at K B Bhabha Hospital, Bandra, using the Nirbhaya fund allocated to the state.

Health infrastructure consultant Dr Ahmad Mecklai called it a budget with the right priorities. “Upgradation of peripheral hospitals reduces unnecessary waiting time as well as the burden on major hospitals, which will enable more patients to avail the facilities,” he said.

Dr Yagna Parmar from Vacha Charitable Trust said that in the post covid period, it is important to go beyond reproductive health of women. One area that needs attention is the provision of sanitary pads to girls from economically weak families.

“The high cost of the sanitary pads means most families refrain from buying them. Lack of pads causes many infections,” she said. She said that the sanitary pad dispenser machines need to be installed at a larger scale that would enable more girls to access them. She said the 10-14 age group is always neglected by the policy makers.