In a belated but much-needed move, the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) has rolled up its sleeves geared to strengthen and upgrade its healthcare infrastructure at the ground level by adding ten more public health centres (PHC) in the twin-city. As of now, MBMC’s health department operates ten PHCs, the services which are largely limited to the dispensation of primary healthcare and the implementation of various government schemes like immunisation drives.
"Enhancing the quality of education and healthcare facilities is on the top of our agenda. While the process was on to add ten more fully equipped PHCs across the twin-city, the existing ones will also be upgraded," said Municipal Commissioner Dilip Dhole.
The MBMC is also eyeing funds amounting to Rs. 75 lakh under the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) for the purpose. Acting as a referral unit, with six beds and a sample collection centre, each PHC will involve curative, preventive, primitive and family welfare services. Due to a lack of manpower and infrastructure, the PHCs fail to provide essential healthcare to the patients who largely represent the lower economic strata of the society.
"We will recruit needed medicos including doctors and nurses to ensure there is no staff crunch at these centres. Nine out of the ten locations have been identified. While the focus will be on using existing municipal properties, options to construct new structures or hiring of rented premises will be considered,” said Deputy Municipal Commissioner Sanjay Shinde.
As per NUHM norms, which mandate one PHC for a population of 50,000, the twin-city needs more such centres. The population of the twin-city has already crossed the ten-lakh mark. Moreover, only four out of the 10 existing PHCs qualify under NUHM norms.
Notably, the BJP-led MBMC has approved the setting up of NaMo health care units-especially in slum clusters and tribal settlements in the Mira Bhyanadar.
PHC in Uttan in Bhayandar | Photo: File Image
