Bhiwandi: Three portable Urban Health and Wellness Centre (UHWC) cabins within a stretch of barely 100 metres, two centres found shut during a Free Press Journal visit and another cabin lying unused for months beneath a flyover have raised serious questions over Bhiwandi's municipal health infrastructure. With each cabin reportedly costing ₹21.50 lakh the Bhiwandi Nizampur City Municipal Corporation (BNCMC) is facing scrutiny over its planning, expenditure and monitoring of these facilities.
The issue came up at Friday's Standing Committee meeting where members questioned the need to establish three health centres along the Mumbai pipeline in Shantinagar within Bhiwandi East under the names of Bilal Nagar, Sanjay Nagar and New Azad Nagar. The reported cost of the three cabins is around ₹63.50 lakh although the exact expenditure requires verification from official records.
The committee sought a detailed explanation from the health department raising concerns over the proximity of the centres, the number of patients visiting them staff attendance and the distribution of medicines. Questions were also raised over whether the locations had been selected after assessing population density and local healthcare requirements.
Three cabins, one stretch, unanswered questions
The establishment of three centres within such a short distance has prompted questions about the basis on which the locations were selected. The applicable population norms cited in the complaint reportedly envisage one health cabin for an area with a population of 10,000 to 15,000. However, the survey, population assessment and other documents supporting the decision to establish three separate facilities have yet to be examined.
At the Standing Committee meeting Dr Bushra Sayyed representing the health department reportedly acknowledged that there had been an error in the arrangement. Officials however could not provide a satisfactory explanation for the expenditure and the need for all three facilities at the same location.
The department is expected to submit detailed information at the next meeting. This will need to establish whether the decision was based on a documented assessment of population, patient demand and accessibility, or whether alternative locations could have served residents more effectively.
Patient footfall under scrutiny
According to information presented in connection with the issue each cabin reportedly receives around 20 to 45 patients a day. At Bilal Nagar UHWC the monthly patient count is alleged to be fewer than approx 1,000. These figures however require verification against official patient registers and departmental data.
If the reported footfall is accurate the department will have to explain whether the expenditure, staffing arrangements and medicine supplies at the three centres are proportionate to their utilisation.
The larger concern is the distribution of primary healthcare facilities across the city. While three cabins have been established close to one another in Shantinagar, residents of other densely populated neighbourhoods and slum settlements may also require accessible medical services.
Two centres found shut during FPJ visit
A visit by the FPJ reporter raised further questions about the functioning of the facilities.
Although the reported operating hours are from 9 am to 5 pm the Sanjay Nagar UHWC was found with its main door closed during the visit. After the reporter knocked, the door was opened by an employee who said the centre had closed. Asked about patient consultation hours, the employee said patients were seen only until 2 pm. The door was subsequently shut again.
At the New Azad Nagar UHWC, the cabin was found locked.
The observations have raised questions about staff attendance and adherence to prescribed operating hours. However the reasons for the closures and the actual duty schedules on the day of the visit will need to be established through official records.
Dr Afzal Shaikh posted in the municipal health department, said he was unaware that the centres had been found closed. He added that action would certainly be taken if a centre was found shut.
The department's response will now be tested against attendance registers duty rosters and patient records.
Mobile app proposed to track medicine distribution
The Standing Committee also raised concerns over the recording of patient numbers and medicine distribution. Allegations have emerged that discrepancies could exist in patient records and medicine stock accounts, alongside concerns about the possible diversion of medicines for sale. These allegations have not been independently established.
To improve monitoring, the committee has proposed developing a mobile application to record patient visits and medicine distribution.
Under the proposed system, a patient's name and mobile number, along with the doctor's prescription, would be uploaded before medicines are dispensed. The digital record would then be used to reconcile prescriptions, medicines distributed and available stock.
The proposal aims to improve transparency and make discrepancies easier to identify. However, the implementation timeline, operating procedures and safeguards for patient information have yet to be clarified.
Another cabin gathering dust beneath flyover
Adding to the concerns another portable cabin has reportedly remained unused for months beneath the Rajiv Gandhi Flyover, opposite the State Transport (ST) depot.
The purpose for which the cabin was purchased, the reason it has not been put to use and the timeline for making it operational remain unclear.
The situation has raised questions about the planning and utilisation of public funds. The health department will need to disclose the status of all such cabins, their procurement costs, intended locations and operational readiness.
Staffing costs also require verification
The reported staffing arrangement at UHWC facilities includes an MBBS doctor, a General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) nurse, a Multi-Purpose Worker (MPW), an attendant and a cleaning worker.
The salary figures provided indicate ₹6,0000 for the doctor and ₹18,000 each for the GNM nurse and MPW. The attendant and cleaning worker are reportedly paid through outsourcing by Arogya Sathi Foundation. These figures and employment terms require verification through appointment orders, contracts and payment records.
The committee will also need details of actual staff attendance, patient consultations during operating hours and the deployment of personnel across the centres.
Demand for a centre in Kidwai Nagar
Huzaifa Haleem Ansari corporator from Ward No. 11, said the area around Kidwai Nagar Talab is also a large slum settlement where a UHWC cabin is urgently needed.
He stressed that healthcare facilities should be planned according to population needs and local requirements. Establishing centres in underserved neighbourhoods could help residents access primary treatment without travelling long distances for routine medical care.
His demand has added another dimension to the controversy: whether the distribution of health facilities across Bhiwandi reflects actual healthcare needs.
Standing Committee seeks full account
The Standing Committee has sought detailed information on patient records, medicine stocks and distribution, staff attendance, operating expenditure and the procurement of portable cabins at its next meeting.
The health department must now explain the rationale behind the three closely located Shantinagar centres, the reported low patient footfall, the two cabins found shut during the FPJ visit and the unused cabin beneath the Rajiv Gandhi Flyover.
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