Mumbai's health system ailing, diseases take a huge toll: NGO
A city-based NGO has expressed concern over the state of health of Mumbai, where tuberculosis has emerged as a major killer in the last few years, while some other diseases have also taken a toll on local residents, bringing health and civic authorities under the scanner.
As many as 7,075 people died due to TB in 2013-14 in the
financial capital. The total number of deaths caused by the
infectious bacterial disease in the last six years stood at a
staggering 46,606, according to data collected through RTI by
the NGO Praja Foundation, from
civic dispensaries/hospitals, State hospitals and other
Maharashtra Government
facilities.
"With such a large number of deaths occurring due to TB, Mumbai
may soon become the TB death capital of the world. We have
world-class medical expertise in both public and private
sectors, but we don't seem to have a leadership with zeal to
control and eradicate TB," Praja Foundation Founder Trustee
Nitai Mehta said at a press conference here today.
According to a report on 'State of Health of Mumbai' released by
the Foundation on the occasion, 1.2 lakh residents of Mumbai
suffered from diarrhoea in the last one year and 255 of them
succumbed to the disease. Another seven succumbed to cholera,
while 10 people died of typhoid.
"All these diseases that have caused so many deaths could have
been easily tackled had the MCGM (Municipal Corporation of
Greater Mumbai) taken proper steps," Praja Project Director
Milind Mhaske said. All these deaths were "unnecessary" and
could have been avoided, he said.
"According to MCGM data, in calender year 2013, 1,393 people
died of TB and 30 of malaria. While the RTI data for the same
period based on death certificates issued by MCGM under RBD Act
reveals that 7,127 died of TB and 199 of malaria," Mhaske said.
The aim of Registration of Birth and Death (RBD) Act is to
provide a source of demographic data for socio economic
planning, development of health system and population control.
MCGM officials are ignoring this data and instead releasing
conflicting figures on deaths due to malaria and TB, he alleged.
He also accused the Mumbai MLAs and MCGM Corporators of being
silent on health-related issues and rarely raising queries in
this regard in legislature or civic body meetings.
"Are these MLAs and Councillors not responsible for letting the
Governance slip into a coma while the state of health of
Mumbaikars is becoming worse with each passing day?" asked
Mhaske.
Source:
Business Standard
