BMC budget: Hospital housing coronavirus isolation ward gets ₹2 crore

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday allocated ₹2 crore for new facilities at Kasturba Gandhi Hospital in Chinchpokli, the only medical institute

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday allocated ₹2 crore for new facilities at Kasturba Gandhi Hospital in Chinchpokli, the only medical institute in Mumbai with an isolation ward for patients of highly infectious diseases such as the new coronavirus, nCOV.

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The annual health budget of the BMC has increased to ₹4,260 crore from ₹4,151 crore in the previous financial year.

A team of health officials from the Centre who recently visited the Kasturba hospital made several suggestions to improve facilities at the ward. Taking note of it, the BMC has decided to strengthen the infrastructure of the hospital as a precautionary measure to handle outbreak of the new coronavirus. “Currently, we have 28 beds in the isolation ward, but we have decided to increase the strength of beds further as a precautionary measure to handle any crisis,” said Suresh Kakani, additional commissioner, BMC.

HT was the first to report last week that the BMC was planning to turn Kasturba Hospital into a national laboratory for testing to reduce the burden on the National Institute of Virology, Pune. The corporation has also allocated certain funds to buy pathological equipment for it.

Among the initiatives to provide immediate relief to patients, the BMC has decided to start 50 evening dispensaries in the city. Also, the body has allocated ₹230 crore for development of major hospitals –King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital, BYL Nair Hospital, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital and Dr RN Cooper Municipal General Hospital. An amount of ₹30crore has been allocated to install MRI machines in these hospitals.

“Every year, we see that the BMC announces new schemes, but fails to implement them owing to lack of coordination and planning. But this year, the corporation has planned wisely and focused on developing the already existing infrastructure,” said Dr Saeeda Khan, corporator and member of the BMC’s health committee.

The BMC has decided to extend the ‘aapli chikitsa’ diagnostic service to all medical colleges, which is currently available only at maternity and peripheral dispensaries. Under this, patients can avail of 101 basic and 38 advanced tests at nominal fees.

Also, an amount of ₹115 crore has been allocated for upgradation of MT Agarwal Hospital in Mulund, Shatabdi Hospital in Govandi and Bhagwati Hospital in Borivali. “The upgradation of these hospitals is in different phases. Once, the construction gets over, over 700 beds will be added to peripheral hospitals. This would decrease the pressure on major hospitals by almost 50%,” said Kakani.