Bureaucrats who studied medicine have been given the charge of four municipal corporations in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) to mitigate the rising COVID-19 cases. The state government thinks that the IAS officers' MBBS degrees will ensure a medico-administrative response.

On Tuesday, the government-appointed Dr Vipin Sharma, Dr Vijay Rathod and Dr Mantada Raja Dayanidhi as commissioners of the civic corporations of Thane, Mira-Bhayandar and Ulhasnagar respectively. On June 19, the government had made Dr Pankaj Ashiya head of the Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation. A non-medico, Abhijit Bangar, was made the Navi Mumbai civic chief. mid-day has extensively reported the rising COVID-19 cases in these cities.