The BMC started its Hinduhriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray (HBT) health centres across the city to provide cheap and quality health services to the poor. As of now, 52 porta cabins are being set up by the civic body in different wards of Mumbai, with 24 more HBT centres to set start from Jan 2, 2023.
Additional Municipal Commissioner, Dr Sanjiv Kumar has said, “Our aim is to reach the 100 HBT cabins by Jan 26, and further, to have around 200 HBT centres by Feb-end.” The BMC had declared that 250 HBT centres will be set up in a year so that the poor can avail of free treatment near their houses. Many of these centres are being opened in slum areas, with records indicating that 1.5 lakh people have taken treatment at the centres. There are plans to set up 15 centres in Dharavi, and 10 centres in Govandi and Malad next month. The BMC plans to have one HBT centre per 25,000-30,000 people.
Each HBT centre has one MBBS doctor and two nurses, along with health workers. Ailments like colds, coughs, fever, skin problems and other seasonal infections are treated at the centres, with are also capable of carrying out 147 types of tests. The civic body has tied up with private laboratories to provide cheaper medical tests.
