BMC prepares for monsoon-related illnesses; evening OPDs to start from June 7

Representative image. Pic/Istock

As the monsoon is set to arrive in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has begun its preparation for monsoon-related illnesses such as malaria, dengue, leptospirosis, as a precautionary measure. The civic hospitals in the city will start outpatient departments (OPDs) in the evening from 4 pm to 8 pm, from June 7 onwards to provide medical assistance to those visiting for fever-related treatment.

The BMC Municipal Commissioner chaired a meeting on monsoon preparations with the officials on Thursday at the BMC headquarters.

The BMC officials have asked the hospital authorities to arrange extra beds and also set up a special monsoon ward in each civic hospital for admission of the cases related to monsoon diseases.

The BMC official said, "The hospitals have been ordered to maintain stock of essential medicines, reagents and testing kits related to malaria, dengue. leptospirosis. A regular stock is required till the end of October. A list of available medicines and testing kits should be displayed at the OPD wards of the hospital."

In 2022, a total of 3,796 water samples were collected by the BMC to detect water-borne diseases from January to May, of which only 22 samples (0.58 per cent) were found unfit. "A control room has been made functional from June 1 at the Epidemiology cell of BMC and rapid response teams set in all 24 wards of Mumbai," added the official.