BMC to bring specialty doctors right to your ward

Y R Tawade Dispensary in RN ward is among the healthcare facilities that will be converted into an HBT polyclinic

Soon, you won't have to go to big hospitals for treatment as specialised doctors will be available in your neighbourhood. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has selected 11 dispensaries which will be converted into HBT polyclinics in the next three months.

The four major civic-run hospitals and medical colleges in the city have been witnessing an increasing load of patients, leading to not only overcrowding but also a dip in quality of treatment. In view of this, the civic body has decided to strengthen its health infra by converting some of the dispensaries into clinics with doctors. The doctors will treat the patients, and will refer them to tertiary hospitals if advance treatment is required.

Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani confirmed the development and added that the BMC is also planning to build some new centres.
BMC Executive Health Officer Dr Mangala Gomare said, "We selected 11 dispensaries which will be converted into HBT polyclinics. These clinics will have specialists like paediatricians, gynaecologists, chest physicians, orthopaedic, dentist, skin specialists, etc. We will hire these doctors who will be there for 3 hours."

Experienced doctors from KEM, Sion, Nair, and Cooper hospitals will do teleconsulting at these centres which will not only benefit the patients but also lessen the burden on big hospitals. Apart from this, doctors from tertiary hospitals will also be available in the near future.

In these centres, 139 types of tests including X-rays, CT scans, and mammography will also be available. At present, patients have to make rounds of suburban hospitals and medical colleges for these tests. The BMC will tie up with private labs so that the tests can be done at affordable rates. The BMC has mentioned that it will open 100 more HBT centres in the second phase and has made a provision of R250 crore for the same in its 2022-23 budget.

Dr Avinash Supe, former director of municipal hospitals and director of Hinduja Hospital, Khar, said, "These centres will not only reduce the problem of patients but will also reduce the increasing burden on the hospitals to a great extent."

139
No. of tests HBT will offer

The selected dispensaries

. Ward Dispensary
. HW Gurunanak (Ambedkar) Dispensary
. KE VN Shirodkar Dispensary
. KW N J Wadia Dispensary and Banana Leaf Dispensary
. PN Rathodi Dispensary
. RS Shailaja Vijay Girkar Dispensary
. RC Kajupada Dispensary
. RN Y R Tawade Dispensary
. N Sainath Dispensary
. S Tagore Nagar (Suncity) Dispensary
. T DDU Marg Dispensary

HBTs

HBT or Hindu Hriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackerey polyclinics will offer consultations for three hours a day.

Tele-consultation with experienced doctors will also be available Patients will also be able to get 139 types of tests