The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has inaugurated a new urban-health training centre in Malad-Malvani that is expected to serve around 3.5 lakh residents of the western suburbs.
The centre’s creation is aimed at bringing primary healthcare closer to suburban communities, thereby reducing travel time for patients and easing the burden on larger municipal hospitals.
Services at the facility will be provided by doctors, staff and medical students from Seth Gordhandas Sunderdas Medical College along with KEM Hospital, in line with norms under the National Medical Council that mandate urban training centres for medical colleges.
Outpatient services at the centre include general medicine, women’s health, dermatology, dental care, and tuberculosis care.
For patients needing more advanced or specialised treatment, referrals will be made to nearby municipal hospitals such as Harilal Bhagwati Hospital, KB Bhabha Hospital, Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Medical College and Hospital and Dr R N Cooper Hospital.
A team of 35 — including professors, associate professors, around 20 resident doctors, trainees and support staff — will oversee daily operations.
The OPD (outpatient department) will operate between 9.30 am and 4.00 pm, with provision for special OPD sessions beyond the regular morning and afternoon slots.
The facility is housed in a five-storey building designed to handle 250–300 OPD patients a day. Three of the floors are dedicated to community medicine. The infrastructure includes a spacious waiting area, and the centre plans to expand staffing in the coming months and implement a Hospital Management Information System for better record-keeping and management.
Beyond clinical services, the centre will also support a library, an IEC hall (for public health communication), a public health museum, a research unit, and a vaccination room. It will conduct regular health camps, awareness campaigns, training sessions, and collaborate with local organisations for community outreach and preventive health efforts.
This move reflects a push toward decentralised, neighbourhood-level healthcare for densely populated areas. By offering essential outpatient services close to home, the BMC expects to reduce unnecessary pressure on major hospitals and ensure timely access to primary healthcare for residents of Malad-Malvani and surrounding suburbs.
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