Most of the Pune Municipal Corporation’s 20 maternity homes do not have sonography facilities, leaving pregnant women dependent on a small number of civic centres or private diagnostic clinics for scans, according to a report by Punekar News.
The PMC currently has three identified sonography machines across its healthcare network. One is available at Kamala Nehru Hospital, another operates at the Pote dispensary in Padmavati under a public-private partnership, and the third is located at the Sutar dispensary in Kothrud.
The civic body has stated that sonography services are also available at three to four other maternity homes. However, the report said these facilities are not consistently operational, leaving patients to rely largely on the limited number of functioning centres, including Kamala Nehru Hospital.
The shortage affects access as well as household costs. Women who cannot obtain scans at a nearby PMC facility may have to visit private sonography centres and pay additional charges. The PMC health department has said that pregnant women eligible under the National Urban Health Mission can receive financial assistance of Rs 400 for scans at private centres in their neighbourhood.
The PMC’s capacity is constrained not only by the number of machines but also by the availability of specialists. The health department has only one radiologist in a Class I post, according to the report. Without qualified staff, purchasing additional equipment alone would not ensure that more maternity homes could provide regular sonography services.
At some civic centres, excluding facilities operating under the PPP model, PMC gynaecologists conduct sonography scans. This arrangement further limits service availability because the same medical staff must manage their clinical responsibilities alongside imaging services.
The situation highlights the operational difference between having medical equipment within a municipal healthcare network and maintaining a dependable diagnostic service. A machine must be installed at an accessible centre, staffed by qualified personnel and kept operational for patients who need scans during pregnancy. Intermittent availability can force patients to travel elsewhere even when the civic network formally reports additional facilities.
The PMC health department has urged eligible women to use the Rs 400 assistance available through the NUHM for scans at private sonography centres. The immediate issue for the civic healthcare system remains the expansion and reliable operation of sonography services across its maternity-home network.
