To tackle communicable and non-communicable diseases, the BMC has decided to make separate policy so that they can focus on each and every disease in all the 24 wards. Under the ‘My Family, My Responsibility’ campaign, the civic body is making a health database of individuals in all 24 wards.
According to the BMC dashboard, 8,880 COVID-19 deaths have been reported in the city since the pandemic outbreak. Of these, more than 70 per cent had comorbidities. Diabetes, hypertension and heart illnesses was the common factor in all comorbidity’s deaths.
Suresh Kakani, Additional Municipal Commissioner, BMC said currently they have only one policy to tackle all these diseases but under the survey, they will be able to know the exact populations suffering from comorbidities. Moreover, they will be making a health database of each ward. “Once the survey is complete, we will analyse the citizens’ health data procured from all 24 wards. In Mumbai, most people are diabetic and suffer from hypertension. With this data, we will get to know which ward has a greater number of diabetic or other ill patients,” he said.
Currently, South Mumbai has more malaria cases. The BMC is focusing on curbing and planning to make a separate policy to handle it. “Based on health databases an individual policy will be made so that we will be able to focus on each disease and it will help us to control all these cases,” Kakani added.
Health experts have welcomed this move stating it is much-needed as more than 50 per cent of individuals in Mumbai are diabetic. “Currently, the civic body is focusing on Tuberculosis so in a similar way all other diseases will be monitored. But for that citizens need to provide correct health issues to the volunteers without hesitation,” he said.
