Clinics at doorsteps still remain a distant dream for Mumbaikars

AAPLI CHIKITSA, A SCHEME OF RS 16CR, IS YET TO TAKE OFF

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) allocated a large sum of budget towards strengthening periphery hospitals and dispensaries for the year 2018-19, but a two-year-old scheme, 'Aapli Chikitsa,' with an allocation of Rs 16 crore is yet to be started.

A senior official confirmed that even after launching the tender twice, not a single diagnostic laboratory has showed interest in taking over Aapli Chikitsa Rs 16cr scheme to make diagnostic tests available at primary and secondary level health facilities of the city through private laboratories.

The scheme was intended to start services like blood collection and diagnostic tests at dispensary level to reduce the load on tertiary care hospital but despite of launching the tender twice, no private firm has come forward to start the initiative.

‘Aapli Chikitsa’ is an effort to replicate the ‘Mohalla’ model introduced by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi. “This new service will make important medical services available to citizens at their doorsteps. If the doctor advice for further investigation in cases like thyroid, then the blood will be tested and the patient will get reports on the same day at these dispensaries,” said a senior doctor of King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEM).

Rambhau Dhas, central purchasing department of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said that after the failure of the tender launched in 2017 monsoon, for which not a single bidder came forth, they have launched the second tender.

“We had to re-launch the tender since there was no response. This tender is expected to be open in eight days, we are hoping for the bidders to come forth,” said Ram Dhas, Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Central Purchasing Department, BMC.

Currently, there are 183 dispensaries and all of them will be updated with 'Aapli Chikitsa'.

“The poor health infrastructure in the nearby civic corporations which has increased the footfalls to the city hospitals,” said a doctor.

Executive health officer of BMC, Dr Padmaja Keskar said that the scheme was meant to reduce the burden on tertiary care facilities which conduct over 8000-9000 diagnostic tests every day.