The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has stepped up in its efforts to increase the number of beds in BMC and state government-run hospitals that are dedicated to treat patients infected with the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.
In addition, the BMC has also requisitioned more hotels to accommodate doctors.
The BMC said that it is adhering to a newly-circulated laboratory testing protocol and strictly implementing the latest discharge protocol that has been issued by both the Centre and the Maharashtra government.
According to the new testing protocol, if high-risk contacts are in institutional quarantine and develop symptoms, then they will be tested. If no symptoms are detected, then they will be tested after a 14-day quarantine period.
Regarding the discharge protocol, mild/very mild/pre-symptomatic cases admitted to a COVID-19 care facility will undergo regular temperature and pulse oximetry monitoring. The patient can be discharged after 10 days of the onset of symptoms and if they don’t have fever for three days.
There will be no requirement to test prior discharge. At the time of discharge, the patient will be advised to follow home quarantine for another week.
These decisions were taken by BMC Commissioner Iqbal Chahal with hospital deans and chief of medical staff. Also present in the meeting were additional municipal commissioners who were told to re-amp the BMC’s bed capacity for BMC and government-run hospitals.
This was necessitated as the union ministry of health on May 7 in its presentation has estimated that the number of coronavirus positive cases may surge to 41,000 when BMC may fall short of ICU beds, oxygen beds, and quarantine and isolation facilities in Mumbai.
Principal Secretary Manisha Mhaiskar and Director of Medical Education and Research Dr Tatyarao Lahane have been tasked with increasing the bed capacity. BMC has proposed total 5,582 additional beds of which 3,540 beds were activated while 2,114 beds are being activated.
It will be the responsibility of assistant commissioners to focus on keeping eye on dedicated COVID-19 hospitals and dedicated COVID-19 health centres. There are 500 beds with oxygen supply and 40 ICU beds in DOME Worli, 500 beds Corona care centre (CCC2) with 300 beds with oxygen supply and 40 ICU beds in BKC/MMRDA. Further, MMRDA will establish 300 bed ICU at Seven Hills and install Dialysis machines.
At the government-run JJ Hospital, there are 500 beds on a five-acre open plot; another 50 ICU beds are being set up by MMRDA, while JJ Hospital will install all medical equipment and machinery.
All hospitals will have software for monitoring of beds at one place installed at DOME, Worli which will be replicated at all jumbo locations. All medical, non-medical fixtures, equipment and machineries will be provided and installed by a Committee comprising Dr Lahane.
Further, the Dr Lahane-led Committee comprising Deans of KEM, Nair, Sion will decide on staff recruitment and placement of staff from the level of Class IV employees to Deputy Dean and Deans at ramped up and jumbo facilities. The Committee will issue duty rotation pattern of staff working in major hospitals and peripheral hospitals. The training, work deputation, remuneration related queries of the doctors requisitioned through various sources will also be decided by the Committee.
The government will soon take a decision on ramping up of COVID beds in private hospitals.
Chahal has directed to launch the Biometric attendance at hospitals in view of the major absenteeism of class IV staff with leg pedal operated sanitizer machine near the biometric machine for safety of staff. All staff will be sanitized and compulsory use of the same.
The assistant commissioners have been asked to requisition hotels to accommodate doctors who are on duty in the nearby hospitals for their easy commute and convenience.
Furthermore, Chahal has directed the deputy commissioner to identify a large COVID-19 care centre for Sion hospital for churning out asymptomatic stable patients from hospital to this facility.
In the wake of recent videos went viral showing lack of cleanliness at the hospitals, Chahal has directed it will be the responsibility of Deans and Chief of Medical to ensure good housekeeping standards while the maintenance engineers will ensure that all minor repairs and maintenance of the wards and washroom is done within short time and no complaints about the same are received.
In order to avoid delay in the movement of patient to the hospital or COVID care centre, Chahal has directed that 200 SUV ambulances with partition between driver and patients will be requisitioned by Transport Commissioner. They will be deployed on priority at CCC1 and 2 facilities for transport of positive asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients to reduce load on ambulances needed for critical patients. The driver and doctor in the ambulances will be provide with weekly quota of personal protective equipment kit for their safety and reducing the delays in turnaround time.
