Mumbai's civic body, BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), is set to provide resident doctors at all civic-run hospitals with free-of-cost protein-rich breakfast after a pilot project at Sion Hospital.
The BMC decision to provide breakfast to all resident doctors follows the death of Sion Hospital intern, Samidha Khandare (24) who succumbed to multi-drug resistant tuberculosis on July 1, and also 15 other resident doctors contracting TB in the last few months.
While the resident doctors are currently provided a measly Rs 10 daily for breakfast, the BMC is set to launch a buffet breakfast, which will be mandatory for resident doctors every day.
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Resident doctors will be provided with two vegetarian and two non-vegetarian dishes for breakfast, which will be free-of-cost.
Dr Samidha Khandare
“Earlier, we were given only Rs 10 for breakfast, which is an extremely measly amount and several times, and doctors would end up working on an empty stomach putting them at a higher risk of contracting the TB bacteria,” said Dr Vikas Dixit from Sion Hospital.
“A dietician decided on the menu for the breakfast buffet which is a welcome move,” he added.
The initiative will be rolled out from August 15, said Dean of Sion hospital Dr Avinash Supe.
“We will be starting this initiative first in Sion Hospital after which the buffet breakfast will be rolled out in other hospitals as well depending on the response we receive,” said Dr Supe.
Dr Supe further added that the repeated demands from the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) for group health insurance has been discussed with the additional municipal commissioner and is in its planning stages.
“There was a discussion to have group health insurance schemes for the resident doctors, however, we are unsure about how it will work out as government hospitals had tried to implement it earlier but not a single insurance company came forward.”
“There are issues to be sorted out in health insurance such as if it will be on a full or part payment basis,” added Dr Supe.
Additional municipal commissioner, Manisha Mhaiskar said, "We have decided to provide nutritious, protein rich food to the doctors to help increase their immunity against TB. After consulting our dietician, we decided on providing breakfast in a buffet form for more option in protein rich food from August 15."
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