COVID-19: To tackle second wave, Mumbai mounts 3-pronged attack

A health worker tests a woman for COVID at LTT. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Stepping up its efforts to curb the growing number of daily COVID-19 cases in the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has asked private hospitals to increase the number of beds to what it was in July last year within the next 48 hours and follow the earlier rule of charging patients based on government rates for 80 per cent of the beds and hospital rates for the remaining 20 per cent. The move comes post a meeting of civic chief Iqbal Singh Chahal with the authorities of private hospitals on Friday. The civic body will also increase the daily time for vaccinations from eight to 12 hours.

A citizen gets vaccinated at Nair Hospital on Thursday. File pic

Though only 20 per cent of the daily patients need hospitalisation for COVID, we may need more beds as cases are increasing. Even a daily 20 per cent will lead to a huge number of patients," said a BMC official. As of now, out of the 20,140 active patients, 5,542 are symptomatic and 479 are critical. Out of the total 13,458 beds available with the civic body, half are occupied.

"We already have the set-up, will just follow the instructions of the civic body. The corporation has asked us to make the beds available in the earlier 80:20 formula," said Dr Aniruddh Ambekar, CEO of Lifeline Group of Hospitals and secretary of the Mid-Segment Hospital Association. He added that currently most of the beds were occupied by non-COVID patients and surgeries had been lined up. But we will try to discharge those patients who are in good physical condition in the next couple of days and request them to postpone the surgeries.

Meanwhile, the civic body will increase the daily time for vaccinations. As of now, the centres operate from 10 am to 6 pm, but they will start running from 9 am to 9 pm. The civic chief has also instructed to increase the number of daily tests to around 50,000. Over the past two weeks, the average number of daily tests has been around 22,000. "It may increase the number of daily cases, but will lead to early detection and isolation of patients and reduce transmission," said an official who attended the meeting.

Chahal said, "The hospitals have to manage all the infrastructure and manpower within the next 48 hours. Some private hospitals are asking for a deposit from patients but it is not mandatory for the 80 per cent of the beds reserved under the government quota. The corporation will appoint two CAs to solve the complaints of overcharging." "Patients will be admitted through war rooms only. The hospitals can give admission to patients in need of urgent care but they have to immediately inform the ward war room. No hospital can admit asymptomatic patients without proper reason. They have to discharge patients as soon as they test COVID negative. They may be sent to institutional quarantine if required," added Chahal.

March 19 numbers
Total active cases: 20,140
Stable-Asymptomatic cases: 12,403
Symptomatic cases: 5,542
Critical cases: 479
Bed capacity: 13,458
Occupied: 6,816
Available: 6,642
Oxygen bed capacity: 8,352
Occupied: 3,864
Ventilator bed capacity: 961
Occupied: 616

February 12 numbers
Active cases: 5,252
Asymptomatic cases: 3,433
Symptomatic cases: 1,535
Critical cases: 284
Beds: 12,773
Occupied: 2,890

20,104
Total no. of active COVID-19 cases in the city