The Public Health Department has received approval to grant a two-month extension to the current doctors and assistant professors at Cooper Hospital. Addressing the media on Thursday, Deputy Municipal Commissioner Sharad Ughade stated, “We have received approval for the extension. In the meantime, we have also been permitted to fill all vacant posts by hiring doctors and assistant professors on a contract basis, valid until March 30, 2027.”
Adding to this, Dr Neelam Andrade, Director of Medical Education and Hospitals, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), said, “As per norms, at least 75 per cent of vacancies in hospitals should be filled. Of the 217 vacant posts, 120 will definitely be filled on contract.”
In addition, officials stated that 1,149 bills and purchase orders (POs) for Cooper Hospital have been cleared.
Speaking about the zero-prescription policy, Ughade said, “Rate circulation for liquid medical oxygen has been completed, and supplies are being provided under this policy. Additionally, 50–60 per cent of essential medical items, such as medicines and syringes, have already received bids.”
Meanwhile, progress continues on the upgraded HMIS (Hospital Management Information System) digital platform, which will allow OPD (outpatient department) registration under a unified system, generating a unique ID for each patient. The system is currently being piloted at KEM Hospital, where 22 out of 35 modules have been completed. “Once successful at KEM, which handles around 15,000 OPD cases daily, the system will be implemented across peripheral hospitals,” Ughade added.
He also mentioned that the renovated MT Agarwal and Bhagwati Hospitals will become operational in the coming year.
