The city will now get clinics in shipping containers under a new civic health scheme. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will have 70 such clinics under the revised Hinduhriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray (HBT) Healthcare Centre scheme that was announced in its budget. These container clinics, which are being mapped ward wise, will treat minor illnesses like fever, cough, and cold. To start with, the BMC aims to have 15 HBT clinics by Independence Day.

To lower the burden of peripheral and tertiary care hospitals, the BMC had announced HBT centres that aim to provide treatment to patients near their houses. BMC’s Executive Health Officer Dr Mangala Gomare said, “HBT clinics that will be directly connected to the community will be started in the slum areas. As of now, we are planning to have a total of 70 clinics in a phase-wise manner. We have identified spots where these containers will be placed and turned into clinics. Along with that existing clinics—primary health centres—will also be converted into HBT clinics. The BMC has also identified 13 civic dispensaries (with area more than 2,000 sq feet) which will be converted into HBT polyclinics.”