Mumbai, 9 Apr, (APAC Media): Mumbai is testing a digital system to track hospital bed availability in real time. The move is aimed at addressing delays faced by patients during medical emergencies.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has initiated trials of a centralised dashboard designed to display live availability of hospital beds across civic-run facilities. The platform will include data on both general beds and intensive care unit (ICU) capacity, allowing users to identify facilities with available space before reaching hospitals.
The system is being developed as a publicly accessible online interface that does not require prior registration or login. Officials involved in the project indicated that the dashboard will update dynamically, ensuring that availability data remains current and reduces the need for repeated manual checks. Authorities expect the system to improve coordination during emergencies, particularly in situations where delays in admission can affect treatment timelines.
Mumbai previously deployed similar bed-tracking mechanisms during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic to manage hospital capacity across the city. The current initiative builds on that earlier experience, with the intention of creating a more structured and permanent solution for routine emergency management rather than crisis-specific use.
In its initial phase, the dashboard will cover hospitals operated by the BMC. Officials have not yet confirmed whether private hospitals will be integrated into the platform at a later stage. The phased approach suggests that authorities are prioritising data standardisation and operational stability before expanding the network.
Healthcare planners view the development as part of a broader push toward digital integration within public health infrastructure. By centralising bed availability data and making it publicly visible, the system is expected to reduce uncertainty for patients and improve hospital-level coordination during high-demand situations.
