Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) Commissioner Dr Kailas Shinde inspected the civic body’s special dialysis centre at the Vivekananda Cultural Centre building in Sector 14, Vashi, which has a capacity of 50 beds and is being described by the administration as Maharashtra’s largest dialysis facility operating under a single roof.
The centre was established by NMMC to provide relief to patients requiring regular dialysis treatment, which often involves substantial recurring medical expenses.
Officials stated that a single dialysis session generally costs between Rs 3,000 and Rs 3,500 in private facilities, while many patients require dialysis multiple times a week, making treatment financially difficult for economically weaker families.
Commissioner calls for greater public awareness about free dialysis facility
During the inspection, Dr Shinde directed officials to focus on wider public awareness so that more needy patients across Navi Mumbai can benefit from the free dialysis services available at the centre.
Senior civic officials, including Additional Commissioner Sunil Pawar, Additional City Engineer Arvind Shinde and Medical Health Officer Dr Rajesh Mhatre, were also present during the visit.
Rise in diabetes cases linked to increasing dialysis demand
The commissioner stated that the growing incidence of diabetes has contributed significantly to the increasing need for dialysis treatment facilities.
He noted that under the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) screening initiatives, health examinations are being conducted for residents above the age of 30 to facilitate early detection of conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer, heart disease and stroke.
According to officials, the objective is to identify such diseases at an early stage and provide timely treatment and preventive care.
NMMC currently operates 85 dialysis beds across the city
Apart from the 50-bed Vashi facility, NMMC has also made dialysis services available at multiple civic hospitals across Navi Mumbai.
The civic administration stated that dialysis facilities presently include:
- 50 beds at the Vashi special dialysis centre
- 10 beds at Vashi Municipal Hospital
- 11 beds at Nerul Hospital
- 11 beds at Airoli Hospital
- 3 beds at the CBD Belapur centre
This brings the total number of dialysis beds operated by NMMC to 85 across the city.
Officials stated that more than 1,000 patients have already benefited from the special dialysis centre since its launch in January this year.
Additional healthcare facilities planned at Vashi Hospital
The commissioner also informed that facilities such as MRI services, Cath Lab infrastructure, CSSD, modular mortuary facilities and a milk bank are expected to be introduced at Vashi Public Hospital in the near future.
Dr Shinde stated that NMMC is focusing on improving both the quality and capacity of civic healthcare infrastructure while also working towards addressing the challenge of trained medical manpower through planned administrative measures.
