Mumbai: The free pathology diagnostic service provided at BMC dispensaries and maternity homes under the ‘Aapli Chikitsa’ scheme has come to a halt due to delays in the tendering process.

To minimise inconvenience to citizens, the BMC health department has issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for a temporary diagnostic model. Under this SOP, issued on December 20, a limited number of blood samples will be collected and sent to the nearest suburban BMC hospitals for testing.

However, only a few tests are included in this arrangement. Experts and former corporators blame the BMC’s slow response and lack of efficiency for the disruption, stating that a timely tender process could have avoided the need for this stopgap arrangement.

The corporation awarded the contract to Krsnaa Diagnostics last year after it quoted the lowest price (Rs86) for basic pathology tests. Under the scheme, the corporation outsourced laboratory testing for 190 dispensaries, 107 HBT clinics, all BMC-run maternity homes, and special hospitals to the private laboratory.