Amidst complaints relating to shortcomings in treatment in hospitals for want of facilities and the non-availability of ambulances to Covid 19 patients, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday basked the team of IAS officers appointed by the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to step up their efforts. Thackeray said although the state government and BMC have slogged to put in place amenities for Covid 19 patients, more attention is needed to further improve the treatment and patients’ care especially in field hospitals and jumbo facilities apart from government and private hospitals.
Thackeray’s direction comes close on the heels of recent instances with regard to inflated bills charged by private hospitals and lack of timely admission of Covid 19 patients by them. This is despite a team of IAS officers appointed to coordinate bed management.
CM said although the government has capped the rates in private hospitals for Covid 19 patients through 80:20 bed management formula, hospitals are not displaying the vacancy. They should be told to do so. He admitted that the government’s move to reserve 80% beds from 35 private hospitals at capped rates for Covid 19 patients has yielded positive results, but added that there was further scope for improvement.
He wanted BMC and a team of IAS officers to put in place a mechanism for easy availability of ambulances to the patients.
CM said the BMC, MMRDA and state government have created field hospitals and jumbo facilities to treat Covid 19 patients. He however, emphasised the need to properly manage these various facilities so that more and more patients can be admitted there instead of rushing to the private hospitals. He also asked the BMC to create confidence among the citizens that the Covid 19 will be treated properly in jumbo facilities. This will also ease pressure on city hospitals on bed management.
Thackeray said the even though the fight against the virus is in its last phase, the BMC needs to take more containment measures to make Mumbai coronavirus free.
At the same time, CM also asked BMC to make efforts so that non Covid 19 patients get admission and treatment in small privte hospitals.
