Mumbai: To increase the availability of Intensive Care Units (ICU), the BMC has decided to outsource intensivists services for 153 ICU beds in its peripheral hospitals. The intensivists includes anesthesiologists, surgeons, post-graduates in general medicine (MD) among others. The appointments will be done within two months and a contract will be awarded for two years.
The 12 BMC-run peripheral hospitals where the intensivists will be outsourced for 153 ICU beds includes Rajawadi Hospital, Ghatkopar (11 beds), Bhabha Hospital, Kurla (20 beds), Bhabha Hospital, Bandra (12 beds), Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Hospital, Kandivali (16 beds) among others.
The BMC has total 16 peripheral hospitals which handles more than 42 lakhs OPD patients, admits over 2.5 lakh patients and conducts 42,000 surgeries per year. The outsourcing of intensivists is expected to decrease the load of existing staff and doctors.
BMC’s maximum peripheral hospitals are located in the suburbs and the civic body in its FY 25-26 budget had mentioned that considering the increasing trend of rising population in the suburbs of Mumbai, emphasis will be given to increase availablity of speciality services and ICU beds.
“BMC is successfully running around 50 ICU beds by outsourcing intensivists. The outsourcing for 153 ICU beds is in final stage and the contract will be in less than two months,” Medical Supritendent of BMC peripheral hospitals, Dr Chandrakant Pawar told FPJ on Thursday.
A medical officer of BMC-run hospital said, “BMC’s major hospitals (KEM Hospital, Sion Hospital, Cooper Hospital, BYL Nair Hospital and Nair Hospital Dental College) do not need outsourcing as they have sufficient resident doctors. However, for peripheral hospitals, we lack post-graduates in Medicine (MD) as very less post-graduates are posted here. By outsourcing, more Intensive Care Units will start and BMC will be able provide better healthcare facilities.”
Kalpana Mate, who works as an househelp and resides in Govandi said, “We rely on BMC hospitals for all treatments. Even if they outsource doctors, as far as the facility will be in hospital premises, we trust the government hospitals.”
