Mumbai Suburban District Guardian Minister Ashish Shelar has instructed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to accelerate the modernisation of Mumbai’s public healthcare system by adopting advanced medical technologies and implementing wide-ranging administrative reforms.
Chairing a high-level review meeting on the functioning and upgrade of the BMC Public Health Department at Sahyadri Guest House on Monday, Shelar stressed that improving healthcare delivery must remain a core civic priority. He asked the civic body to evaluate existing systems, identify operational gaps, and prepare a structured roadmap to improve efficiency and patient services.
Reiterating the government’s commitment, Shelar said, “We are committed to providing quality healthcare to Mumbaikars. The BMC should examine its administrative processes related to healthcare, identify necessary reforms, and adopt advanced medical technologies to make the system more efficient and contemporary.”
He further directed that outpatient departments (OPDs) and toilet facilities in municipal hospitals be improved on a priority basis. The minister also announced that periodic review meetings will be conducted to track progress in healthcare infrastructure and reforms.
The meeting saw participation from Co-Guardian Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde, MLAs, senior civic officials, and representatives from the health department, including senior administrative officials of the BMC.
Shelar also suggested a separate high-level meeting involving the Maharashtra Chief Minister to address inter-departmental issues between the State Health Department, Urban Development Department, and other agencies. He emphasised the need for a comprehensive study of all factors affecting patient care and formulation of a long-term reform strategy.
Stressing that infrastructure expansion alone would not be sufficient, Shelar said the BMC must integrate modern MedTech solutions and digital healthcare systems to align with national and global standards of medical service delivery.
Mayor Ritu Tawde, in her remarks, urged the administration to expedite filling vacant posts in the health department and consider a one-time recruitment policy for contractual staff who worked during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also called for fast-tracking delayed hospital redevelopment projects, including Siddharth Hospital and Rajawadi Hospital.
Meanwhile, MLA Ameet Satam advocated strengthening healthcare access across Mumbai through expanded dialysis facilities, a proposed “Diabetes-Free Mumbai” initiative, operational cancer treatment beds, and dedicated mental health centres.
He also highlighted the need for workforce planning ahead of the addition of around 5,000 hospital beds and stressed sensitisation training for frontline staff to improve patient interaction and service quality.
The review concluded with a renewed push for combining infrastructure growth, technology adoption, and administrative reforms to strengthen Mumbai’s public healthcare system.
Source: Mid-day
