“We have increased the capital budget as there is spending on equipment, new building construction and also addition of new departments and specialties in peripheral hospitals,” said Additional Municipal Commissioner Kishor Gajbhiye.

Among the key proposals, including a plan to provide free firewood at all Hindu cemeteries: A new, 215-bedded hospital in Jogeshwari, with a provision of Rs 50 lakh. “The hospital will be built on Ajgaonkar Plot at Jogeshwari. Within 15 days, we will appoint an architect and within three months after getting the designs, we will float tenders for construction,” Gajbhiye said.

The 168 health outposts maintained by the BMC are set to get a facelift too, with a provision of Rs 6.15 crore for upgrading and strengthening these basic healthcare centers. For the upgradation of other public health institutions, dispensaries and construction of regional health centers, a provision of Rs 20 crore has been proposed, plus an additional Rs 2.50 crore for improving the external infrastructure at these centers.

With construction-hub Mumbai having the dubious distinction of recording the highest number of malaria cases in the state, the BMC has finally escalated its budget provisions to fight the mosquito nuisance-form Rs 17 crore last year to Rs 54.91 crore this year.

A specialized center for Cell-Based Therapy is being proposed in the KEM Hospital. The main objective of this center will be to carry out basic stem-cell research and clinical trials.