Budget hosps for aam aadmi on the anvil Proposal to benefit middle class who do not use civic facilities and cannot afford pvt care

Budget hosps for aam aadmi on the anvil

Proposal to benefit middle class who do not use civic facilities and cannot afford pvt care

After years of focussing on providing subsidised health care facilities to the poor in Mumbai, the focus is now shifting to the ever increasing woes of the middle class. The BMC in collaboration with Mumbai First, a public-private initiative to upgrade the city, is in the process of conceptualising a method by which affordable treatment in hospitals could be made available to the middle class. “The middle class population in the city cannot afford to avail treatment at private-run or corporate hospitals, nor do they feel comfortable in getting admitted in BMC-run tertiary care hospitals like KEM or Nair. Affordable hospitalisation is a huge concern for them,” said Manisha Mhaiskar, additional municipal commissioner (Health), BMC. “In a meeting with Mumbai First members on Wednesday, it was envisioned that the private sector should foray into constructing budget hospitals in the city. Built on a no profit, no loss model, the state government could provide concessions for such endeavours.” Proposals for accommodating paying rooms in tertiary health care, specifically BMC-run KEM, Nair and Sion hospitals are also being conceptualised. “Middle class patients who can afford to pay slightly higher for getting admitted in private rooms will receive decent care and treatment wherein the BMC hospital will charge them for actuals and a nominal tariff for the room,” Mhaiskar said. In a bid to maximise the reach of services, the health department has proposed to lease out space in BMC-run dispensaries, peripheral hospitals and maternity homes to private doctors in the evenings and on the weekends for operation on a no profit, no loss basis. “The BMC dispensaries run only between 9am and 4pm from Monday to Saturday. We have proposed to utilise the space better by giving it to NGOs or private entities on a charitable or CSR model,” said Mhaiskar. BMC has close to 170 dispensaries, 26 maternity homes and 16 peripheral hospitals in Mumbai.