BBMP Health Initiative Gets Poor Response

An initiative launched by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) a couple of years ago to control the spread of diseases in the city is not effective enough due to the unenthusiastic attitude of private hospitals.  The Public Health Information and Epidemological Cell (PHIEC) wa started by BBMP in 2016. It is an online reporting system of major diseases that have been identified in patients at a hospital. Hospitals had been directed to report confirmed cases of H1N1, dengue, chikungunya, polio, diptheria, pertosis, viral hepatitis, and meningitis. BBMP Additional Commissioner (Health) D Randeep, said that nearly half the hospitals do not report report such cases, even though it is mandatory.  PHIEC Nodal Officer T Venkatesh said, “Of the 908 hospitals in the city nearly 400 lag behind when it comes to reporting these diseases. Some of them upload information for some time and then stop. Some are erratic while some have never reported.”

Reporting such cases is mandatory under The Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act 1976 as well as the Karnataka Private Medical Practitioners Act, he said. “BBMP is now thinking of some penalty or stringent action which can be taken against them under the KMC Act,” Venkatesh said.  BBMP is also mulling over penalizing such hospitals. “All 115 BBMP hospitals have been prompt in reporting diseases that have come to light through patients visiting their hospitals,” he added. The official said, “If we hear of a patient who is a resident of Benson Town, reported as a confirmed case of dengue at Fortis Hospital at Benson Town, our paramedical staff in Benson Town are alerted about it. They visit the surroundings and the patient’s house in some instances and identify the cause.”

On being asked if this system had made any headway so far, the Nodal Officer said that the City had 6000 Dengue cases reported last year but only 1000 have been identified up to September this year. “We made use of data available to take preventive measures in previously affected areas,” he added. Hospitals that have not reported on cases Mallya Hospital, Dr Bhargava Reddy Women & Children Hospital, Popular Nursing Home, Digvijaya Hospital, KIMS Bengaluru, Sushruta Medical and Research Hospital Limited, Bharathi Nursing Home, Supriya Hospital, Venlakh Hospital, Leela Hospitals & Diagnostic Center, Raksha Multi Speciality Hospital, Mamatha Hospital. – New Indian Express