The Maharashtra public health department has launched a comprehensive infrastructure assessment across government healthcare facilities, ranging from major state and municipal hospitals to rural primary health centres, to evaluate their preparedness for the rising burden of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The exercise aims to determine whether institutions are adequately equipped with essential diagnostic tools, manpower, and treatment infrastructure.
The ongoing survey is cataloguing shortages of critical medical equipment such as glucometers, test strips, pulse oximeters, blood pressure monitors, weighing scales, spirometers, ECG machines, echocardiography systems, waterbeds used in palliative care units, and diagnostic tools required for detecting various forms of cancer. Officials say the findings will help identify gaps in both urban and rural healthcare delivery.
State public health joint director Dr Archana Bhosale said the audit is intended to establish a baseline of existing infrastructure to guide future planning. “All the logistics thereafter will be based on this. We want to focus on early detection and treatment so that the disease is controlled in time before it progresses,” she said. She added that digitisation has simplified data collection, with a digital system enabling health facilities to upload details of their available resources and requirements.
The initiative comes shortly after the NFHS-6 report highlighted a sharp rise in lifestyle-related disorders in Maharashtra. Obesity levels have increased significantly, reaching 31.1% among women and 32.8% among men, compared to 23.5% and 24.7% respectively in NFHS-5. Similarly, cases of high blood sugar have risen from 12.4% to 16.0% among women and from 13.6% to nearly 18% among men.
Urban areas show higher prevalence, with 20.4% of men and 19.3% of women affected, compared to rural rates of 16.4% and 14.1% respectively. Health officials say this rising disease burden is placing additional pressure on the public healthcare system.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has also been asked to submit detailed data on infrastructure shortages to the state health department. “It would also be useful for the municipal corporation to start specific programs accordingly. We already have NCD corners across all our hospitals,” said Dr Omprakash Vallepawar, deputy executive health officer (NCD Cell).
Source: The Times of India
