Aapli Chikitsa in limbo amid early monsoon
MUMBAI: The monsoon has only just arrived in Mumbai but the city's public health infrastructure is already under strain. Exposing a critical gap in preparedness is the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) suspended public diagnostic scheme, Aapli Chikitsa ('Your Diagnosis').
Under the scheme, the BMC plans to roll out diagnostic services at 498 civic health institutions—including 440 HBT clinics, 30 maternity homes, three urban health centres, five specialty hospitals, 16 suburban hospitals, and its four major hospitals in Mumbai. Launched in 2019 as a flagship initiative to provide free or low-cost diagnostic tests at municipal health centres, Aapli Chikitsa has been non-operational at a time when seasonal illnesses are beginning to surge. It has been shut since December 15 last year.
The scheme had significantly improved access to tests such as Complete Blood Count (CBC), blood sugar and urine analysis for citizens, particularly those from low-income backgrounds who depend on local dispensaries.
The disruption began after Krishna Diagnostics, the private firm contracted for four years, hit its financial and test volume ceiling within just 18 months. Since then, the BMC has failed to appoint a new vendor, severely compromising diagnostic services across the city's 24 administrative wards.
With the onset of the monsoon, common ailments such as fever, diarrhoea and respiratory infections are on the rise. However, the absence of local diagnostic facilities has forced patients to rely on private laboratories they can ill-afford.
Farida Shaikh, a domestic worker from Kurla, said her son had a stomach infection and high fever. 'The clinic gave him medicines but told us to go to Sion Hospital for tests. I lost a day's work just for this,' she said.
Pramod Jadhav, a retired school teacher from Dahisar, expressed similar concerns. 'My wife is diabetic and hypertensive. We used to get monthly tests done at the local civic clinic. Now we've been told to go to a Kandivali municipal hospital. It's far, tiring, and private labs are expensive,' he said.
Adding to the frustration is the BMC's delayed procurement process. A new tender floated on January 21 was abruptly cancelled in March, without explanation. A revised tender was issued on March 13, but three months on, the contract remains in limbo.
A civic official said the tender is in its final approval stage, although even after it is finalised, the new service provider would require at least a month to mobilise staff, set up equipment and resume operations.
Health economist Dr Ravi Duggal stressed the urgency of restoring these services. 'The very foundation of primary healthcare relies on timely diagnosis. Even if the full panel of 100 tests isn't feasible right away, at least 15 to 20 core tests—like CBC, urine and blood sugar—must be made available immediately. Without them, dispensaries become mere prescription counters. In the context of rising dengue, leptospirosis and other monsoon-linked diseases, this delay could prove dangerous. The BMC must act swiftly; this is no less than a public health emergency.'
Despite phone calls and text messages, Vipin Sharma, additional commissioner (health), BMC, did not respond.
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