Mumbai: Perception of civic hospitals must be changed

Representation Pic

In the first 40 days of his job, the BMC's additional commissioner (health) has secretly single-handedly inspected civic-run hospitals clad in regular attire. He claimed he has visited almost 50 civic-run medical facilities so far and identified critical areas for improvement, a report stated.

The additional commissioner is also looking into suspicions that some kind of referral system may be on in these civic hospitals. Staffers may be referring patients to private labs for tests though such facilities are available in-house at BMC rates.

We approve of the action following flying checks. There needs to be a definite uptick in hygiene at these hospitals, which have poor records when it comes to sanitation. Consistent, continual checks, the surprise factor and a willingness to act after investigations make this modus operandi effective. We must just ensure a long-term approach and that officials themselves have a deadline of a turnaround time when it comes to setting things right at these hospitals.

These checks should be the springboard for putting a system in place where these spaces put cleanliness first. Staffers and patients must understand the importance of hygiene, that too, in a medical facility.

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Even passages outside and immediate surroundings of these hospitals must be clean. There have been many reports of rats in these wards, and even cats can be seen at times on the premises. This is a huge detrimental factor, especially at a health hub. It is time to do away with the image of civic hospitals as unclean spaces. The BMC rates do not mean compromising on something so elementary. More power to all attempts to change the narrative and make the new normal a lasting one.