The civic body will soon be better equipped to prevent, limit and manage endemic diseases like dengue, malaria, chikungunya, measles, and outbreaks of other communicable diseases thanks to a surveillance lab to be set up at the civic-run Kasturba hospital. Mumbai is among the 20 cities chosen by the union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to get the Metropolitan Surveillance Unit (MSU) which will forecast infectious diseases, collaborate with experts for research, and alert the government about possible outbreaks.

The MSU was announced in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Budget for the financial year 2023-24. The surveillance unit is proposed under the Pradhan Mantri-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission. According to sources in the civic health department, the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) has approved the MSU’s location, and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between the BMC and state and central governments. The MSU is aimed at bringing together robust technology and expertise. Doctors, data analysts, and other staff will be hired for research and constant monitoring of diseases in a hi-tech lab.