Additional municipal commissioner Kishore Gajbhiye said, “The life span of an average Mumbaikar has increased. But now we are aiming to bring it to the international level as recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).”

The plan that is in its nascent stages, entails forming a committee of research scientists, medical professors and doctors who will study international health standards. The BMC will outsource the task of chalking out the details for the plans to the Mumbai Transformation Support Unit (MTSU).

“We were in the process of setting up this team of researchers last year. However, our doctors will not have adequate time for field search and community services, hence now we are outsourcing this team,” said Gajbhiye. Director of MTSU, UPS Madan said, “We are going to help the civic body in providing them with a feasible health infrastructure so that people can have easy access to health facilities.”

Keeping in mind the problems of humidity, smoke, green space crunch and rising population, the committee’s task will be to ensure a disease-free city. “The committee will constantly engage in field surveys, community service and research and will aim at bringing down lifestyle diseases, psychological disorders as well Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR),” said Gajhbhiye. The civic body is hoping to replicate the health model of Norway and Sweden for this purpose. “The idea is to keep the local needs of an area in mind before carrying out any work. For instance, there is no point in setting up civic maternity homes in an upscale region like Colaba. Similarly, if we hear that eastern suburbs need more hospitals then we will do the needful,” added Gajbhiye.

However, there are some officials who doubt the feasibility of this plan. A senior health official said, “How can you have a fixed plan for two decades? Health needs are never static. Developments take place on a regular basis. The need of the hour is to have a health plan for two to five years. Hence this plan seems to far-fetched.”