The Praja Foundation has published a report showing a sharp rise in health issues in Mumbai over the last 10 years. Diarrhoea, tuberculosis, hypertension, diabetes, and dengue have the highest number of reported cases, totalling nearly 20 lakh cases between 2014 and 2023.
The report talks about the urgent need for better public health measures to address these issues.
As per the report, one of the most concerning issues is the increase in deaths due to lifestyle diseases. Diabetes-related fatalities have surged by 485% between 2014 and 2022, increasing from 2,428 to 14,207. This means that diabetes has now overtaken infectious diseases as the leading cause of death in Mumbai.
In addition to lifestyle diseases, respiratory issues have become a significant concern. Pulmonary tuberculosis and other respiratory conditions have led to nearly 47,000 deaths between 2019 and 2022.
Praja Foundation launched a report on 'Status of Health Issues in Mumbai 24'. This year, the focus is on primary #healthcare, sensitive & respiratory #diseases and healthcare personnel data.
— Praja.org (@Prajafoundation) November 7, 2024
Get all sights: https://t.co/S3lTgJJszv
Report Highlights: https://t.co/0S5Ugq1vri pic.twitter.com/LHdLsCCplB
The foundation has also called for Mumbai to adopt urban planning recommendations from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The guidelines recommend a minimum of 10 square meters of open space per person to support public health. However, Mumbai’s development plan for 2014–2034 only proposes 3 square meters per person. This is a big gap in open spaces.
The report also notes that there are issues in Mumbai's healthcare infrastructure. Despite a 98% increase in the health budget over the last six years, there are many challenges. The city only has one public dispensary for every 40,143 residents, while guidelines suggest one clinic for every 15,000 people.
With only 313 dispensaries available in Mumbai, the city is far short of the 838 recommended. The eastern suburbs, where 51% of the people live in slums, are underserved. Most dispensaries, including the main Aapla Dawakhana centres of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), are concentrated in the western suburbs and central areas, where fewer slum populations reside.
The report notes that, as of 2023, none of the civic wards in Mumbai meets the target of one dispensary per 15,000 residents. About 95% of Mumbai's 191 municipal dispensaries operate seven days a week, but there is still a shortage.
In 2022, 207 Hindu Hruday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray (HBT) clinics were opened to deal with this. However, only 6% of these clinics offer longer hours, with a few open for 14 hours daily. It should be noted that civic health officials have disputed some of the report’s findings.
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