Mumbai: Three jumbo Covid-19 centres still being constructed

Malad, Kanjurmarg facilities will have 2,200 beds each and Sion 1,200 more; city will then have a total of 15,207 beds at jumbo facilities

Three jumbo Covid-19 centres, which are supposed to be ready for use before the third wave kicks in, are still in various stages of construction. The Malad Jumbo Centre was handed over to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) a month-and-a-half ago, and work related to oxygen supply and fire compliances is still on. The other two centres at Kanjurmarg and Sion are still under construction. The Malad and Kanjurmarg centres will have 2,200 beds each and the Sion one will have 1,200.

In the first phase, the BKC Covid Centre, Goregaon Nesco Covid Centre, Worli NSCI Complex, Mulund Richardson and Cruddas, Byculla Richardson and Cruddas and Dahisar Jumbo Covid Centre were made operational with more than 7,000 beds. They proved to be extremely essential in fighting the second wave of the pandemic.

Hence, the civic body decided to start three more centres as part of preparations for the third wave. The centres at Malad, Sion and Kanjurmarg were supposed to be constructed by the MMRDA, MHADA and CIDCO respectively, and handed over to the BMC for running them. The Malad centre was given to the civic body in the first week of July, but work on it is still on. 

Also read: ‘COVID centres don’t care for patients’

“Infrastructure-related work at the Malad centre is almost complete. Work on providing oxygen supply and the fire safety compliance system will be completed in a week,” said Dr Prashant Mishra, dean of Malad Jumbo Centre. Though the centre will be ready soon, it would be opened only if cases start increasing and bed occupancy in other centres crosses 50 per cent, he added.

The MHADA and CIDCO centres at Sion And Kanjurmarg are still being constructed. “MHADA told us that work on the Sion centre will be complete by the end of August. We will conduct a review next week. Simultaneously, we will start a procedure to provide manpower and other facilities,” said Gajanan Bellale, assistant commissioner of F North ward. 

“The Kanjurmarg centre is in the construction stage. The civic body’s work will start once the centre is handed over,” said Ajitkumar Ambi, assistant commissioner of S ward. 

The existing six jumbo centres have a total of 7,307 beds. About 7,900 beds will be added to the current strength soon. This includes 2,200 beds each at the Malad and Kanjurmarg centres, 1,200 beds at the Sion centre, another 700 beds at Richardsons and Cruddas of Byculla, 1,500 at the Nesco-Goregaon centre and 100 at NSCI Worli. This will lead to a total bed capacity of 15,207. 

The BMC has invited tenders to provide manpower to run the ICU and oxygenated beds at the jumbo centres. “The agencies have been selected and asked to provide only 20 per cent manpower initially. This will be increased as per the requirement,” said a civic official.

7,307
No. of beds the existing six jumbo centres have

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