Mumbai: Covid-19 cases low, but BMC not taking it easy yet

The Kanjurmarg jumbo Covid care centre. File Pic/Anurag Ahire

Though the cases are under control after the festivities that were feared to trigger the third wave, the BMC wants to keep the jumbo centres and Covid-19 hospitals on standby, as the city is expected to see an influx of international returnees for the holidays.

The city currently has 17,434 beds dedicated for Coronavirus patients at jumbo centres and Covid-19 hospitals, and only 6 per cent or 1,159 beds, are currently occupied. Moreover, the two new jumbo centres, which the civic body took possession of recently, are lying unused.

According to BMC's dashboard where it updates Covid-19 cases summary, the city has 16,275 vacant Covid-19 beds. Sources said that out of the 6,000 active beds in all jumbo Covid-19 centres, hardly 300 are occupied and the two new centres - Malad and Kanjurmarg - are yet to be activated. Civic officials said that regular housekeeping work is being carried out in these two centres.

The BMC will be taking over another jumbo centre, which is under construction at Sion. The civic administration had taken up health infrastructure development projects after the second wave, as the third outbreak in the city was feared by September or October. But, there were no significant changes in the numbers. The BMC, however, will continue to wait and watch even in December, as the influx of students and working population abroad are likely to visit the city for the holidays, said civic officials.

A civic official, not willing to be named, said, "The city has 2,577 active Covid-19 cases as on Sunday, and 1,417 of them are asymptomatic. A total of 1,774 ICU and 7,460 oxygenated beds are vacant. This is a good sign and means that the situation is under control."

Meanwhile, some corporators want these Covid-19 centres to be converted into regular hospitals. SevenHills is one of the hospitals opened exclusively for Covid-19 patients, and now the corporators want the BMC to start it for non-Covid patients as well. Rajul Patel, chairman of the BMC's Health Committee, said the centre should also have 100-odd beds for cancer care and such patients should be treated at a nominal cost.

16,275
No. of vacant beds (out of 17,434) in city