The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) is planning a major expansion of its public healthcare infrastructure by upgrading existing hospitals, setting up advanced critical care facilities, increasing specialised medical services and improving access to government health schemes.
The initiatives were reviewed during a meeting chaired by NMMC Municipal Commissioner Dr Kailas Shinde, who directed the Health Department to focus on strengthening healthcare delivery through better infrastructure, increased manpower, improved patient management and effective implementation of public health programmes.
NMMC Health Committee Chairman Dr Jayaji Nath said the civic body is working towards decentralising healthcare services to reduce pressure on major civic hospitals in Vashi, Nerul and CBD Belapur, which receive a high number of patients. As part of this plan, the Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Airoli will be upgraded into a General Hospital with First Referral Unit (FRU) status, enabling residents to access advanced medical services closer to their homes.
The civic body has already started MRI and Cath Lab facilities at Vashi Hospital, while an MRI centre is proposed at Airoli. Further infrastructure improvements are planned at hospitals in Koparkhairane, Digha, Turbhe and CBD Belapur to enhance healthcare facilities.
To strengthen emergency and critical care services, NMMC plans to establish a modern modular Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with a capacity of 20 to 25 beds. The civic body also aims to increase Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) beds and appoint super-specialist doctors.
To overcome the shortage of specialist doctors in municipal hospitals, NMMC is considering offering salaries comparable to or higher than government pay scales by using its administrative flexibility. The move is aimed at attracting experienced medical professionals.
The civic body will also accelerate the distribution of Ayushman Bharat health cards and set up a dedicated health assistance cell for schemes including Ayushman Bharat and the Mahatma Phule Jan Arogya Yojana. Awareness about the 29 empanelled hospitals under the state health insurance scheme will also be increased.
“Our objective is to build a healthcare system that is accessible, reliable and capable of meeting Navi Mumbai’s future needs. We are strengthening hospitals, expanding critical care facilities, ensuring the availability of specialist doctors and making government health schemes more accessible so that citizens receive quality healthcare without hardship,” Dr Jayaji Nath, Chairman of the NMMC Health Committee, said.
NMMC will also strengthen tuberculosis control measures, organise health camps, improve nutritional support for TB patients and intensify mosquito control, fogging and rodent management drives during the monsoon season. The civic body has introduced a petty cash system to allow doctors to procure essential medicines immediately if stocks run out, ensuring uninterrupted treatment for patients.
Source: The Free Press Journal
