Adequate medicine stocks, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds, and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computed Tomography (CT) Scan machines are crucial for Mumbaikars. These should be the primary focus of the upcoming health budget for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). However, last year, the health budget saw a nine percent reduction compared to 2022, prioritising controlling non-communicable diseases and improving peripheral hospital health infrastructure.
BMC's health budget
"The budget allocations are made based on hospitals' requirements, and every year crores are sanctioned for good healthcare services to Mumbaikars. However, in reality, less than 10 percent of the facilities are implemented. BMC needs a concrete policy if genuinely concerned about improving all hospitals, which witness lakhs of patients per month with the hope of good treatment and facilities," said a senior health official from the public health department.
Nikhil Mishra, an interior designer from South Bombay, highlighted problems faced by patients and their relatives when visiting BMC hospitals for treatment.
"I have been following BMC's health budget since the pandemic, and there has been nothing extra or change done in hospitals, indicating the careless attitude of BMC towards improving health facilities. In the first post-pandemic year, 2022, the estimated budget was Rs6,933 crore, claiming to upgrade public health facilities, including a new building for treating infectious diseases. However, all the projects remain incomplete, and funds are sanctioned every year," he said.
Mishra further criticised the civic body for overlooking the provision of good healthcare, leaving citizens who cannot afford private hospitals with no alternative but to seek treatment in these hospitals.
Shortage of medicines in last 2 years
“For the last two years, there has been a significant shortage of medicines in civic hospitals, with no measures taken to provide adequate stock. Additionally, MRI machines, crucial for healthcare, for which Rs120 crore were allocated, are permanently dysfunctional. Patients are consequently directed to private clinics. For instance, BYL Nair hospital has still not received new MRI machines since 2018, after a patient's relative died inside the machine,” he added.
A senior official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, expressed that health is a basic need for citizens, and crores of budgets are sanctioned because it's easy to secure funds. However, less than 25 to 30 percent of actual funds are utilised to improve healthcare services.
"Every year, funds are sanctioned for the same things due to a significant nexus, resulting in improper utilisation. Citizens who pay taxes are forced to use inadequate facilities. For the last two years, the main focus was on redeveloping three peripheral hospitals, including MT Agrawal, Bhabha hospital in Kurla, and Shatabdi hospital in Govandi, for which over 200 crores were sanctioned, but only 30 to 40 percent of the work is completed, and the same pattern is expected in the upcoming budget allocation," he said.
