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PMC to draft dedicated health policy for Pune city
New policy to prioritise population which needs immediate health attention, manpower and building up new healthcare facilities
PUNE The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is in the process of drafting a dedicated health policy for the city which is likely to be the first in the country. The policy will be based on the guidelines set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the central health policy.
The city’s recent past with epidemics and the lacking health infrastructure has prompted the civic body to come up with a dedicated policy.
Dr Pralhad Patil, senior health medical officer, PMC, who is also the coordinator for the committee formed to draft the policy, said, “This was just the first meeting and so we had representatives from three private hospitals too to share their suggestions. The policy would collaborate the existing health schemes too like the PMC urban poor scheme.”
“We have also discussed on trauma care centres for each zones, however, this is not yet confirmed but will be discussed over the coming meetings,” he said.
“The new policy would also prioritize the population which needs first health attention and also manpower and building up new healthcare facilities. This would also make Pune the first city to have a dedicated health policy if the policy is set in place,” he said.
Dr Subhash Salunkhe, chairman, Maharashtra Communicable Diseases Prevention and Control Technical Committee, who would also be the consultant for the policy, said, “It is in the preliminary stage right now but the policy would also streamline the expenditure of PMC’s health budget.”
“The ultimate aim of the policy would be to achieve zero maternal mortality, lower infant mortality and based on universal health care. The policy would integrate the work of other related departments including solid waste management, sewage management and also water sanitization. It would also include the partnership of private hospitals. Eventually, the quality of life of the city will improve,” he said.
Dr Dhananjay Kelkar, medical director, Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, said, “This was the first meeting. The PMC first needs to finalize what it wants through this policy after which we would be able to give our suggestions. It is a good step indeed.”
“Pune is a non-capital metro and so it does not get the required limelight when it comes to healthcare facilities. There have to be more hospitals and medical colleges in the city given its history with epidemic diseases and also the population,” he said.
