Mumbai: In a major relief for patients struggling to find hospital beds, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to introduce a bed management system across all civic-run hospitals. The initiative aims to address the chronic shortage of beds and end recurring complaints of two patients sharing a single bed or being treated on the floor.
Under the new system, vacant beds from less-occupied departments such as ophthalmology, ENT, surgery, paediatrics, and neurology will be utilized for patients from overcrowded wards like medicine and general wards. Senior BMC officials said the move would ensure optimal use of hospital resources and improve patient care.
“Patients whose condition has stabilised and who no longer require round-the-clock monitoring can be shifted to vacant beds in other departments. This will free up space for critically ill patients and also help reduce infection risks,” said a senior official.
BMC hospitals — including Sion, KEM, Nair, and Cooper — treat over 40,000 patients daily in OPDs, with more than 8,000 admissions every day. During peak seasons, the number of patients rises sharply, leading to overcrowding. Medicine wards are particularly affected, with common scenes of bed sharing, extra beds placed between two existing ones, and patients lying on the floor. Such overcrowding not only increases the risk of infection but also makes treatment challenging for doctors.
However, some healthcare professionals have expressed concerns about the logistics of the new system. Managing patients across different departments may prove difficult, as doctors will need to attend to them in multiple locations. “The medicine ward sees the maximum rush during certain periods, but with proper coordination, this can be managed,” said a senior doctor.
Currently, the civic body operates four medical colleges, one dental college, 16 suburban hospitals, and five specialty hospitals, with a total capacity of around 15,000 beds. Every year, more than 30 lakh patients benefit from inpatient services across these hospitals.
Officials believe that once implemented, the new bed management system will bring greater transparency, efficiency, and relief to Mumbai’s overburdened civic healthcare network.
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