Despite a major facelift to its 29 hospitals, six referral centres and 29 maternity homes following a grant of Rs 3.48 crore from Japanese Development Assistance Committee (JDAC), the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) is facing an acute crisis due to severe shortage of doctors.

Though the JDAC aided modernisation has allowed installation of the latest equipment and facilities, the medical centres are now facing a massive shortage of doctors as there are only 23 doctors handling the 64 BMP medical centres. The problem is due to an existing ban in recruitment.

"Taking the services of doctors from the Department of Health and Family Welfare would solve the problem only to a certain extend. Still we need a team of in-house doctors to handle 64 medical centres. The problem cannot be solved unless we hire exclusively for our medical centres," stated the BMP officials.

With the Japanese aid, BMP medical centres have been able to buy 29 double-puncture laparoscopes, 20 ultrasound scanners, 15 digital dopplers with NST, five hysteroscopes with accessories, three colposcopes with accessories, 60 glucometers, five operative laparoscopes with accessories, 10 no-scalpel vasectomy sets, and 10 operation theatre monitors and accessories (anaesthetics). The imported equipment suppliers have already trained the doctors at the BMP hospitals on machine handling procedures.

One of the major requirements under the aid was that BMP could seek tenders only from manufacturers and dealers of imported medical equipment approved by the JDAC and this included the member-countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Under the funding, the BMP's Family Welfare Department has ensured to include regular training programmes. Investments have been already made for training devices, including overhead and LCD projectors, DVD players, audio systems, teaching screens, and paediatric mannequins.