The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to extend the presence of clean-up marshals to all public hospitals across Mumbai, beginning next week. These marshals, empowered to enforce cleanliness and sanitation regulations, will initially be stationed at six civic hospitals, with the potential for deployment in private hospitals upon request.

The initiative is a response to growing concerns about hygiene standards in healthcare facilities, aiming to ensure cleanliness and sanitation citywide.

According to Additional Municipal Commissioner Dr. Sudhakar Shinde, teams of 10 marshals will be stationed at each public hospital in Mumbai. The move aims to uphold hygiene standards amidst rising concerns about cleanliness in healthcare facilities.

Initially introduced in 2008, the clean-up marshal scheme returned to Mumbai streets in April this year, targeting cleanliness discipline citywide. Now, as part of its expansion, BMC will deploy marshals at six civic hospitals, including Nair Hospital in Mumbai Central, KEM Hospital in Parel, and Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar.

With a focus on areas prone to littering, such as walkways and seating areas, the marshals will enforce fines ranging from ₹200 to ₹1,000 for offenses like littering, spitting, and defecating in public spaces. BMC officials emphasise the importance of maintaining cleanliness, particularly in hospitals frequently visited by patients and their relatives.

Over the past month, BMC has generated ₹3.34 lakh in fines from violators across five municipal wards. As the initiative expands, more marshals will be deployed to ensure cleanliness in all civic wards of Mumbai, reinforcing the city's commitment to sanitation and public health.