The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has ordered stronger malaria and dengue prevention measures in Mumbai’s G-South Ward after reviewing disease data and municipal health services in Prabhadevi. The directions were issued by BMC Commissioner Ashwini Bhide during an inspection of the Haji Mohammed Sabu Siddiqui Municipal Maternity Home and a municipal dispensary on Thursday.
Bhide sought details of malaria and dengue cases reported in the ward and instructed officials to take effective preventive action against vector-borne diseases. The directions include expanding public-awareness activities through Accredited Social Health Activist workers and health volunteers.
The civic administration will also use these outreach efforts to help more residents access Ayushman Bharat Health Account, or ABHA, and Ayushman Bharat cards. The BMC said the awareness campaign is intended to improve residents’ access to government-linked health services while strengthening communication on disease prevention.
During her inspection of the Haji Mohammed Sabu Siddiqui Municipal Maternity Home, Bhide reviewed the facility’s functioning with medical officers and other staff. She also verified outpatient and inpatient department records maintained under the Health Management Information System.
The civic chief directed officials to address minor repairs required in the maternity home building and ensure the provision of essential equipment. The inspection covered both the condition of the facility and the health records used to monitor its operations.
At the Prabhadevi municipal dispensary and polyclinic, Bhide reviewed daily patient footfall, the types of patients visiting the facility, available medicine stocks and blood-testing services. The review was part of the wider assessment of healthcare delivery in G-South Ward.
The BMC’s renewed focus on malaria and dengue prevention comes as the city records mixed trends in monsoon-related diseases. According to BMC data cited in the report, Mumbai recorded 1,563 dengue cases between June and August 31 this year, compared with 1,972 cases during the corresponding period in 2025.
Malaria cases moved in the opposite direction. The city recorded 4,485 malaria cases during the period in 2026, up from 3,733 cases in the corresponding period of 2025. The figures indicate that a decline in dengue cases has not been accompanied by a similar reduction in malaria cases.
Earlier BMC data had shown declines in several monsoon-related illnesses between June 1 and September 15 compared with the corresponding period last year. These included dengue, chikungunya, leptospirosis, gastroenteritis and Covid-19. The latest ward-level directions nevertheless keep disease surveillance and preventive action on the civic administration’s operational agenda.
Deputy Municipal Commissioner Prashant Gaikwad, Deputy Municipal Commissioner Public Health Sharad Ughade, Deputy Municipal Commissioner Zone 2 Prashant Sapkale, G-South Assistant Commissioner Swapnaja Kshirsagar and Executive Health Officer Dr Santosh Gaikwad were among the officials present during the inspection. The BMC’s next steps include implementing the prevention and awareness measures, addressing the maternity home’s repair and equipment requirements, and continuing reviews of municipal health facilities in the ward.
