31 July,2025 08:18 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The ‘Aapli Chikitsa’ scheme will cover 83 diagnostic tests — 66 basic and 17 advanced ones. Representational pic
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has announced the relaunch of its ambitious health initiative, âAapli Chikitsa', across 100 municipal health centres from Friday, August 1. The initiative aims to offer Mumbai citizens access to essential and advanced blood tests at highly subsidised rates. The reports of the tests will be delivered to the citizens on WhatsApp.
Additionally, patient data will be managed through the Health Management Information System (HMIS) to streamline record-keeping and analytics.
As part of its ongoing efforts towards accessible public healthcare, the Mumbai civic body plans to extend the health service to all municipal dispensaries by August 15.
Under the directive of Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Bhushan Gagrani and guidance from the Additional Municipal Commissioner (Western Suburbs), the scheme will enable citizens to access a wide range of basic and advanced pathology tests through outsourced services at nominal charges.
The programme includes services at municipal suburban hospitals, dispensaries, âAapla Davakhana' clinics, polyclinics, maternity homes, and key facilities such as Dr RN Cooper Hospital in Vile Parle and the Hindu Hriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Trauma Care Municipal Hospital in Jogeshwari.
Following a competitive tender process in June, BMC appointed Lifenity Health as the official service provider for the scheme.
The âAapli Chikitsa' scheme will cover 83 diagnostic tests - 66 basic and 17 advanced - as per recommendations from a government-appointed expert committee and aligned with the services offered by state health facilities.
Facilities launching the health service from August 1
16 suburban hospitals
30 maternity homes
5 specialty hospitals
Dr R N Cooper Hospital
HBT Trauma Hospital
All BMC dispensaries in administrative Wards A to E
BMC launches free palliative care OPD at Cooper Hospital for patients with chronic illnesses
In a first for Mumbai's western suburbs, the BMC has launched a dedicated Palliative Care Outpatient Department (OPD) at Dr RN Cooper Municipal General Hospital. The initiative aims to provide specialised, free-of-cost care to patients suffering from chronic and life-threatening illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, and other non-communicable diseases.
The outpatient services will operate every Monday and Thursday from 1 pm to 3 pm at Hindu Hriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Medical College and Cooper Hospital. Up to 50 patients can be treated daily, with services offered to both walk-in patients and those referred from public or private hospitals and clinics.
The facility was inaugurated in the presence of Dr Sudhir Medhekar, Dean of Cooper Hospital.
A multidisciplinary team comprising doctors, nurses, and counsellors will lead the service. Along with in-hospital care, the team will also conduct home visits for patients post-discharge, based on individual needs. Around 5-10 per cent of long-term illness cases will receive continued follow-up care from expert physicians.
The focus of the service is to manage pain, control symptoms, and improve the quality of life for patients with illnesses such as cancer, stroke, dementia, Parkinson's disease, and heart, kidney, and lung-related ailments. The initiative also includes wound care, emotional counselling, social support, and spiritual care for both patients and caregivers.
Dean Dr. Sudhir Medhekar urged citizens to make use of the free service and emphasized its importance in holistic patient care. The initiative has been made possible through the joint efforts of Dr. Neelam Redkar, Head of the General Medicine Department, and Dr. Ravindra Kembhavi, Head of the Department of Community Medicine, in collaboration with the Romila Palliative Care Foundation.
