BBMP chalks out ₹800 crore master plan for upgrading Bengaluru's health infrastructure

Learning from the pandemic situation, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has chalked out a master plan with an aim of upgrading the existing medical infrastructure across Bengaluru.

Recommending revamp of the health infrastructure, the civic body has also submitted a detailed plan to the state government last week for approval. The upgradation is expected to cost the BBMP about ₹800 crore and will be pursued in a phased manner.

Read | BBMP scales down Covid Care Centres as new cases fall

Planning for a secondary level hospital in every assembly constituency of the city, the BBMP has recommended secondary hospitals besides setting up five tertiary hospitals. "Even though we have six referral hospitals and a number of government-run general hospitals, they are not spread out uniformly across the city. The state Covid Task Force had also recommended that we should set up one secondary hospital at every Assembly level. We have analysed the feasibility of setting up such facilities and prepared a proposal," said Gaurav Gupta, Chief Commissioner, BBMP. Gupta added that the civic body has also identified sites for setting up these hospitals.

Sources in BBMP revealed to DH that a total of 27 secondary hospitals with an overall capacity of 3,200 beds have been planned. Adding to these, a total of seven tertiary hospitals with a capacity of 2,750 beds have been planned. "We already have two tertiary care centres in Bengaluru (Bowring and Victoria Hospital). Further, we have suggested five new tertiary hospitals in different parts of the city," D Randeep, Special Commissioner (Health) explained.

Read | Covid-19 hospitalisations start to go up again in Bengaluru

This apart, the BBMP has also laid out plans to upgrade the existing Primary Health Care centres (PHCs). “The PHCs in the city are at a basic level. We need to increase the facilities and augment manpower to make sure we can conduct community-level healthcare programmes at these centres,” Gupta pointed. He added that the BBMP has recommended setting up 57 new PHCs. “With 57 new PHCs, we will have one PHC for each ward.”

Clarifying that the master plan has nothing to do with the third wave of the Covid pandemic, Gupta said, "These plans are with an intent to ensure good health care facilities to the common citizens who can not afford private health care services. We have also proposed new paediatric facilities as well."

Highlights of the masterplan

27 New Secondary Hospitals.

5 New Tertiary Care Hospitals.

57 New PHCs.

3,200+ beds in 27 Secondary Hospitals.

2,750 beds in 7 Tertiary Care Hospitals.

₹800 crore for construction-related works.

Overall ₹ 1,000 crore requirement