Psychiatric, lifestyle ailments most common issues among Mumbai patients: Study

For the first time, the BMC doctors studied disease patterns of patients who visited BMC’s three-level healthcare facilities

Mumbai: Psychiatric ailments, diabetes, hypertension and dog bites are the common reasons for Mumbaiites to seek help at city’s civic run hospitals, claimed a recent study by doctors from Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The survey was done using data compiled between October 2015 and September 2017.(Pic for representation)

For the first time, the BMC doctors studied disease patterns of patients who visited BMC’s three-level healthcare facilities of 175 dispensaries, 15 peripheral hospitals and four tertiary care hospitals. The survey was done using data compiled between October 2015 and September 2017.

From tertiary hospitals — KEM Hospital, Parel, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital, Sion, BYL Nair Hospital, Mumbai Central and Dr RN Cooper Municipal General Hospital, Vile Parle — data of 5.59 lakh patients was studied. The study revealed psychiatric ailments followed by diabetes, hypertension and dog bites were the leading diagnosis at these facilities.

At peripheral hospitals, where data of 5.26 lakh patients was studied, the common diagnosis included fever, diabetes, hypertension, dog bites and psychiatric problems.

Dr Seema Bansode, professor and head of community medicine, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital, Sion, and main researcher, said it is evident that lifestyle diseases are on the rise. However, because this is the first time data has been analysed on such a scale big scale, there are no comparative figures from previous years, she added.

“Number of patients with psychiatric diseases at tertiary hospitals is high because they are referred from smaller hospitals. But large number of diabetes and hypertension cases are common across healthcare facilities,” Bansode said.

In the dispensaries, where data of 62.74 lakh patients was studied, the common diagnosis was for acute respiratory illness, fever, diarrhoea, diabetes and hypertension.

Dr Avinash Supe, director of medical education and major BMC hospitals, said this is for the first time that such a study has been undertaken. “Based on this data, we will now plan which services need to be expanded, what drugs need to be included and manpower in which departments needs to be increased,” Dr Supe said.