Citizens’ health can’t be entrusted to quack operators

BMC headquarters. File pic

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) M-East ward health officials have sent notices to nine out of 24 unregistered nursing homes in the slum pockets of the ward. The M-East ward has a significant population residing in slums in Govandi, Shivaji Nagar, Cheeta Camp, Vashi Naka and Baiganwadi.

The medical health officer had said in a report that these unregistered facilities lack an approved building proposal plan. They have qualified doctors but they are not permitted to operate on technical grounds. The nursing homes treat patients with malaria, typhoid and gastroenteritis.

An activist though stated that these facilities have unqualified staff, including so-called ‘doctors' and ‘nurses' and they charge exorbitantly, too. Whatever the truth, the nursing homes do need a registered certificate. It is baffling how so many homes are operating without this, and it obviously points to the fact that they were allowed to mushroom in the first place. We have to see whether these places have fire compliance. Do they have two exits in case of fire? While they may not admit critically ill patients, they do admit people and these amenities must be in place.

A comprehensive investigation and action plan must be put in place for these facilities. If there are problems in registration, these must be thrashed out and lacunae filled so that registration may be given. Unqualified personnel is inexcusable so these need to go and penalties imposed if this indeed is the case in these nursing homes. Fire compliance, generators, etc have to be checked. An all-encompassing effort will see that facilities are above board, and serve as a useful adjunct to the civic hospital amenities.

Nursing homes doing genuine good service must not be shut down. The focus must be on clearing the registration problems and anomalies and seeing that these become useful components of the healthcare scenario.