Mumbai police's COVID centres bring respite, hope for the force

The Mumbai police's COVID Care centre in Marol

Mumbai police now have their own two COVID-19 centres in the city to treat police personnel affected by the virus. The centres, built using the city police's Welfare Fund and located at its training centres in Kalina and Marol, have 250 and 256 beds respectively. The centres have been built amid more personnel getting infected and succumbing to the virus. A 34-year-old woman police constable who was treated at the Marol centre and recovered successfully said the centre feels like home.

Road to recovery
Zhumbar Shrikant Sarode, attached with the Dindoshi police, got infected while depositing a COVID-19 body at a crematorium. Having seen countless deaths, Sarode had no hope of surviving. But after getting admitted to the centre and getting help from another woman constable, she was able to beat the virus.

Constable Zhumbar Sarode was treated at Marol's COVID Care centre

"I came in contact with the COVID-19-positive body on June 1 and developed symptoms a couple of days later. I was supposed to resume work on June 7 after sick leave but my rest result came positive. I went into depression as I have seen so many dead bodies. My one-year-old daughter and husband, Shrikant, left for out village a month ago. While I had no hope, two of my friends encouraged me and helped me recover," Sarode said.

Sarode's friends, Sushma Nikam, a constable at Kasturba police station and Amita Warang, who resides at Sarode's police quarters at Natakwala lane in Borivli got her admitted at the Marol centre. "I was scared about being admitted to a hospital but they told me that I am going to the police's COVID-19 centre developed by Commissioner of Police Param Bir Singh. The centre at Marol also has a women's ward," Sarode said.

During breakfast, the centre played devotional songs on speakers and then information on preventing infection. Sarode was monitored by doctors and was given books to read. "The doctors told me to do mandatory pranayamas and yoga. This created positive energy. It felt like being with family. The doctors said that the centres have not reported deaths so far and encouraged patients. On June 17, I tested negative and was discharged. I owe my recovery to the centre. I have resumed work now," Sarode said.

Every month, R156 is deducted from every police personnel's salary and goes to the Mumbai police's Welfare Fund. "Every commissioner in the state should develop such centres for cops. Personnel get free treatment here," said Warang.

13 ambulances in city
The CP has arranged one ambulance for each of the 13 police zones in the city to transport infected personnel to the centres. The centres so far have seen zero deaths, with over 2,000 personnel having been treated so far. All beds at the Kole Kalyan COVID Care centre are occupied currently and have a waiting list too. Both centres are providing patients with nutritious food that includes dry fruits, kaadha, hot water, haldi doodh and personnel toiletries including oil, soap, brush, mask, towel, single beds and bedsheets. The centre at Kalina started in mid-April and the one in Marol in early May.

256
No. of beds at Marol's COVID care centre

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