BMC FOCUS ON HEALTH, FINALLY

In order to transform the infrastructure and reinforce the manpower at tertiary and periphery hospitals of the city, the BMC on Friday granted Rs 3636.82 crore for the health sector, in its annual budget for the year 20182019.

Among the important procurements are ventilator beds, which fall short in these civic and government run hospitals; the BMC is trying to change this situation.

The civic body plans to create a decentralised system where all emergency medical care will be distributed across the city.

“We have procured about 230 ventilator beds which are going to be distributed among 25 periphery and major hospitals, so that we increase the capacity of the hospitals to handle emergencies.

While creating new services, we are making sure no two similar services come up in hospitals which are close by, so that they are evenly distributed across the city,” said Idzes Kundan, Additional Municipal Commissioner (AMC).

According to BMC statistics, over 40 per cent of the patients, who approach major hospitals, are referred by peripheral hospitals which has necessitat-ed improvement in the entire infrastructure.

“With Rs 1000 crores, Sion Hospital alone is set to be upgraded to an 1800-bed tertiary care facility. This work will start from July 2018. The redevelopment plans of Nair Hospital will cost of Rs 340 crore, and here too the effort is to upgrade its emergency medical services,” said a senior health official.

In addition, two multi-dimensional towers will be constructed at KEM Hospital. Under this, emphasis will be on promoting educational activities and enhancing health services,” said a senior health official.