The four civic hospitals are bursting at the seams and the issue of overcrowding has affected the intensive care unit (ICU) as well, with several patients having to wait in the corridors of the hospital due to lack of additional ventilators. Hoping to finally remedy the situation, the BMC is once again attempting to strengthen the peripheral hospitals with the aim to reduce the load on Sion, KEM, Nair and Cooper hospitals.

Like his predecessors, Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani has directed the health department officials to chart out a detailed plan, which he said will be finalised next month. "The capacity of major civic hospitals is full and there is no space for more ICU beds or ventilators. We are going to develop the peripheral hospitals and will encourage people to visit their nearest peripheral hospitals instead of going to the major hospitals," said Kakani.