The Ideal Mumbai Public Health Manifesto put together by non-profits Mumbai First and Praja Foundation has brought to light that in Mumbai, 65 per cent of total TB deaths occurred between the 20-59 age group.
Herein the percentage of males who tested positive is higher in contrast to women at 1.47 per cent and 0.59 per cent, respectively. Other than this, from 2019-20 to 2020-21, the percentage of positive malaria cases rose from 3.4 per cent to 7.9 per cent.
The manifesto also states measures they believe would ameliorate the health infrastructure in the city, these include:
- An outcome-based budget to enable targeted development.
- Increase number of dispensaries, timings and available medical personnel.
- The need to undertake a third-party audit
- Utilization of the capital budget for health infrastructure
- Curation of a health fund for mental health care
- Implementation of the Clinical Establishment Act in Maharashtra. This will make it compulsory for private hospitals to offer adequate statistics to the BMC.
- Increase in the number and timings of local dispensaries
- Undertaking a client-oriented approach through the allocation of more doctors and staff
- Offer diagnostic services at the dispensary levels
- To collect health data from private as well as charitable health facilities with that of public health facilities. This, they believe should be made available on an open platform.
- Data on all diseases and cases in Mumbai should be maintained and analyzed on a real-time basis
- BMC must upload requisite data on the top 10 causes of death and primary healthcare facilities
- Streamline duplication of data with MCGM is required to monitor its performance. Along with this, private health data should be accessible to all.
With the coronavirus pandemic showing the profound impact the local municipal body plays in such an adverse situation, it is anticipated that health, during this year's local election will be a major talking point.
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