Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has now a deadline for starting the concept of polyclinics also referred to as ‘Hinduhridayasamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Health Centres’ by August 15, which aims to provide treatment to patients near their vicinity.
Moreover, there will be a polyclinic with specialised doctors and experts from each department. Officials said that these clinics will be started in slum areas and with this, the burden from the peripheral and tertiary care hospitals will reduce.
Dr Mangala Gomare, the executive health officer said that these clinics will be directly connected to the community and they are planning to have 70 clinics across the city for which they have identified the spots where containers will be placed and turned into clinics.
Along with that, existing clinics - primary health centres - will also be converted into HBT clinics.
"There is a possibility of at least 10 to 15 HBT clinics and 13 polyclinics. This will boost the health infrastructure in the city and people will get health facilities at no or minimal cost," said Gomare.
The civic body has made a provision of Rs. 250 crores for the capital expenditure and Rs. 150 crores for the revenue expenditure on this project that aims to boost the city’s healthcare at the primary level.
"Hence, to have a specialist available for all patients at public health facilities to provide decentralised patient management is the need of the hour. BMC wishes to engage with specialists to provide their consultation in HBT polyclinics," said Dr Sanjeev Kumar, additional municipal commissioner, BMC.
The HBT clinic will handle common ailments, but if the problem is a bit severe and needs the expertise of a gynaecologist or paediatrician, MD medicine, dermatologist, cardiologist, etc., then patients will be referred to the nearest HBT polyclinic.
The polyclinics are presently looking forward to hiring ENT specialists, ophthalmologists, paediatricians, gynaecologists and obstetricians, general physicians, orthopaedics and dermatologists along with physiotherapists.
