Public Health Facilities in Mumbai

In our interaction with the public health care system and disseminating of health information, we found a very large gap in the information available on public health care services especially those provided by hospitals. In order to bridge this gap, we have brought out this directory of public health facilities that would provide comprehensive and portable information on public hospitals in Mumbai city. This was done in active collaboration with the public health department of the Brihan-Mumbai Municipal Corporation and the Directorate of Medical Education.

The directory contains both general and specific information, including information on various services provided by the hospitals and maternity homes. The general information contains the addresses and phone numbers of the healthcare facilities, landmark, nearest railway station and BEST buses approaching the hospital, number of beds and visiting hours for patient's relatives.

The specific information consist of the case paper registration timings and window number, available specialities, super specialities with their Out Patient Department timings and window number, and information on Blood Bank, ambulance, hearse services and mortuary. A section on other services contains information on the grievance redressal system, benefits for the poor and cheap staying facilities close to the hospital.

At one level this directory would be most useful to laypersons who want to access the health care services provided by the government. It will also act as a guide for the dispensaries and Health Post doctors, Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs), Community Health Workers (CHWs), Non Government Organizations (NGO) and other related staff in their work, especially related to referrals.

It is hoped that the information about these facilities in this directory would increase the utilisation of public facilities and strengthen the public health care system. This is a small effort in the direction of spreading awareness and providing essential information in order to not only build people's access but also create a convenient path for the same.

Team: Rajeswari Balaji and Sunil Nandraj