Mumbai: An eight-member committee, appointed by the Bombay High Court to conduct a social audit of 30 maternity homes run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), has sought an extension of four months to complete its work.
The committee was set up following the death of a pregnant woman and her newborn at the BMC-run Sushma Swaraj Maternity Home in Bhandup. The woman was allegedly operated on under a mobile flashlight due to a power outage. Her husband, Khusruddin Ansari, had filed a petition in the high court, alleging medical negligence and highlighting the poor condition of municipal hospitals.
A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Neela Gokhale had directed the committee to conduct the audit, which aims to assess infrastructure, service quality, and systemic issues in BMC maternity homes.
In an interim report submitted to the court on Wednesday, the committee outlined the progress made so far and the steps ahead. It noted that a social audit, unlike a standard facility audit, requires a broader approach, including consultations with patients and key stakeholders.
“The overarching goal of the audit is to contribute to health system strengthening and support sustainable improvements in maternal healthcare services within BMC maternity homes,” the committee stated in its report.
The audit includes a Health Facility Survey, on-site visits, interviews with medical staff, exit interviews with patients, and focus group discussions with community members and NGOs. The committee has also developed a patient exit interview tool, which will be translated into Marathi and Hindi.
The report mentioned that the committee members will meet on March 28 to review completed questionnaires and finalize the on-site visit plan, which is expected to be completed in April.
“We are in the process of determining a scientifically valid sample size for patient exit interviews, ensuring a 95% confidence level,” the report said. Around 385 respondents will be interviewed to gauge service quality from a patient’s perspective.
The committee plans to conduct focus group discussions and community consultations in May and June. The final report is expected to be compiled in July, after data analysis and a final interview with the Executive Health Officer (EHO) and Additional Municipal Commissioner (Public Health).
However, the committee highlighted challenges, including the need for additional administrative and research support to ensure smooth coordination and timely completion of the audit.
It also proposed the inclusion of two engineers and two retired nurses in the audit team. Their expertise, the committee said, would enhance assessments of infrastructure maintenance and nursing care quality.
Given the scale and complexity of the audit, the HC has granted a four-month extension to the committee to complete its social audit.
