Mumbai’s overburdened public healthcare system is set for a significant transformation in 2026, with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) planning a wide-ranging expansion of infrastructure, services, and medical capacity across the city. The focus is firmly on strengthening peripheral hospitals, easing pressure on tertiary centres, and upgrading emergency and speciality care closer to where patients live.
For years, Mumbai’s flagship hospitals, such as KEM, Sion, and Nair, have carried the weight of the city’s medical needs, often functioning far beyond capacity. The new push aims to rebalance this system by empowering suburban and peripheral hospitals to handle complex cases, reduce referrals and deliver faster care.
One of the key thrusts of the plan is the upgradation of peripheral hospitals into fully functional multi-speciality facilities. Hospitals in Mulund, Kandarpada, Borivali, Bhandup, and Govandi are among those slated to receive new departments, modern equipment, and enhanced staffing. Several of these facilities are expected to offer super-speciality services that were earlier available only at central hospitals.
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Emergency and trauma care is also set to improve, with select hospitals being developed as advanced emergency response centres. This is expected to play a crucial role in a city where road accidents, cardiac emergencies, and sudden medical crises demand rapid intervention.
Mumbai’s chronic shortage of hospital beds has been a long-standing concern, highlighted repeatedly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The upcoming year is expected to see new hospitals becoming operational and existing ones expanding their bed strength, officials told THE WEEK. Multiple facilities are in different stages of construction or upgradation, with thousands of additional beds likely to be added to the public healthcare network.
The emphasis is not just on numbers, but also on quality modern ICUs, better infection control systems, upgraded operation theatres, and patient-friendly wards are part of the planned revamp, said officials from the BMC.
Medical education and specialised care
Medical education infrastructure is also being expanded alongside service delivery. New medical colleges and upgraded teaching facilities are expected to come up, addressing both the shortage of doctors and the need for hands-on training in public hospitals.
Speciality services such as cardiology, nephrology, oncology, dialysis, and advanced diagnostics are being strengthened across multiple hospitals. Health officials say this decentralisation will help patients avoid long waits and repeated referrals to overcrowded central institutions.
PPP model and technology upgrades
The BMC is also increasingly relying on the public-private partnership (PPP) model to speed up hospital expansion and service delivery. Under this model, private players are expected to assist in building, managing, or operating certain hospital services while treatment remains affordable or free for patients.
Technology will be another cornerstone of the 2026 healthcare roadmap. From advanced imaging facilities to improved digital record systems, hospitals are expected to become more efficient and patient-centric.
While the scale of the proposed upgrades is ambitious, experts caution that execution will be key. Staffing shortages, maintenance challenges, and coordination between departments have historically slowed down public health projects in Mumbai. Sustained funding and monitoring will be critical to ensure that these plans translate into real improvements on the ground.
If implemented as envisioned, however, 2026 could mark a turning point for Mumbai’s public healthcare—one where quality medical care is no longer concentrated in a few central hospitals, but accessible across the length and breadth of the city.
