Mumbai, Dec 25: As preparations for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections gather pace, serious concerns have emerged over the impact on public healthcare services. Nearly 80 percent of the BMC Health Department staff have been deployed on election duty, raising fears that essential health services for Mumbaikars may be severely disrupted.
Essential Civic Health Services Hit Across Wards
The large-scale diversion of health personnel has affected services across dispensaries and administrative wards. Routine but critical functions such as the issuance of birth and death certificates, vaccination of children and pregnant women, and malaria eradication programmes are reportedly facing major setbacks. With staff being pulled out of health centres, questions are being raised about who will shoulder responsibility for the city’s healthcare needs.
Election Commission Directives Lead to Acute Shortages
According to officials, Election Commission directives have led to the deployment of health department staff at all levels—ranging from administrative employees to ASHA workers and paramedical staff—for election-related work.
This has resulted in acute staff shortages at BMC dispensaries, directly impacting maternal and child health services. Preventive and control measures for diseases such as tuberculosis, dengue and malaria have also been affected.
Health Workers Voice Strong Discontent
Health department employees have expressed dissatisfaction over the situation. While acknowledging the importance of election duty, they argue that deploying such a large proportion of healthcare workers poses a serious threat to public health.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, one employee said, “We are already working with limited manpower and resources. If 80 percent of the staff are assigned election duty, it is inevitable that healthcare services will suffer.”
Activist Warns of Public Health Risks
Social activist Faiyaz Alam Sheikh highlighted the broader implications of the move. “Elections are the backbone of democracy, but public health is an even more critical issue,” he said. “If 80 percent of the BMC’s health workforce is diverted to election duty, it could directly endanger the health and lives of Mumbaikars.”
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Appeal to Limit Health Staff Deployment
He has appealed to the Election Commission to limit the deployment of health department staff to the bare minimum and to ensure that public health services are not compromised in the process.
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