The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) aspires to become India's first civic body to gain a health university status for its healthcare facilities.

Manisha Mhaiskar, additional municipal commissioner (Health), said that the process of establishing a health university had already begun. He added that it could either be a deemed varsity or an autonomous one.

Speaking on the topic, Mhaiskar said, "We are in the process of setting up a health university. It will either be a deemed or an autonomous varsity. BMC has the infrastructure needed to set up one."

A study group has been formed under the chairmanship of KEM hospital dean Dr. Sandhya Kamat to look at the requirements for the health varsity.

Currently, the project is in the preliminary stage. BMC will approach the University Grants Commission (UGC) in November to seek health university status for its health care facilities, as the study group is expected to submit its report by the end of October.

BMC claims that its health care facilities cater to around 60 per cent of the Mumbai's total population, and believes that setting of a health varsity would boost the health facilities further.

Meanwhile, health authorities are trying to determine if filmmaker Yash Chopra, who died of dengue on Sunday, had contracted dengue in the city or during holidaying in Kashmir.

So far, Mumbai has registered 702 cases of dengue, of which four people have lost their lives.