Pune: PMC To Upgrade 11 Health Centres Into General Hospitals

To strengthen the city’s public healthcare system, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has initiated the process of upgrading 11 of its medical centres into fully equipped general hospitals. The move follows a budget announcement by Standing Committee Chairman Shrinath Bhimale, with an allocation of approximately ₹90 crore for the project.

Under the plan, six maternity hospitals and five outpatient department (OPD) centres will be upgraded in phases. The administration aims to equip these facilities with modern infrastructure and advanced medical equipment within the next six months.

Currently, the civic body operates 54 OPD centres and 19 maternity hospitals, catering to nearly 11,000 to 12,000 patients. However, the burden of handling critical cases largely falls on Kamala Nehru Hospital, the city’s primary general hospital. The upgrade project is expected to ease this pressure by decentralising healthcare services.

According to Dr Nina Borade, the selected hospitals include Rajiv Gandhi Hospital (Yerawada), Laigude Hospital (Vadgaon), Sanjay Gandhi Hospital (Bopodi), Dalvi Hospital (Shivajinagar) and Malti Kachi Hospital (Gadikhana) under the general hospital category.

The maternity hospitals slated for upgradation are Sonawane Maternity Hospital (Bhavani Peth), Rajmata Jijau Nursing Home, Dhankawadi Hospital, Shivarkar Hospital (Wanawadi), Sutar Hospital (Kothrud) and Skhedekar Hospital (Bopodi).

Officials from the municipal building and electrical departments will jointly inspect these facilities and prepare plans for structural and technical improvements. The project will also ensure adequate staffing, including doctors, nurses and other medical personnel.

Once completed, the initiative is expected to provide significant relief to economically weaker and middle-class patients by reducing their dependence on expensive private healthcare services.