Ashwanth Vidhya, Mumbai Uncensored, 1st July 2021:
It is clear from the responses across the world that no country was ready to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. India was no different, Mumbai clearly was not. While the city and its officials did manage the situation better than their fellow metropolitan counterparts, there are still jarring issues in the healthcare system of the city that range from vacancies in essential jobs and spending of expenditure allotted for the management of health.
According to Praja , a non-partisan organisation , the overall vacancies in Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai ( MCGM) for medical personnel (Medical, Paramedical, Labour, Nursing etc) increased from 27% in 2015 to 47% in 2019. This shortage of staff invariably led to the fatigue of existing medical professionals and not adequate care of those afflicted with diseases. Approximately 58% of MCGM health expenditure has not been utilised in the last three years. If only it had been used accordingly, the health infrastructure of the city would have been in a better state.
It has to be noted that even though the glaring mismanagement has become visible after the pandemic, other health issues also overwhelm the system as many people die from other diseases, the number being more than those dying from the Coronavirus. Cause of death as a domain has not been explored by the health officials. This data would help in understanding morbidity and effectiveness of any public health policy on the ground. If these are rectified, it becomes clear where the city needs to work on its health policies and priorities and create a better health infrastructure for its citizens.
