Mumbai: As Mahalakshmi racecourse in South Mumbai and NESCO in Goregaon are already being prepared to be converted into quarantine centre for Covid-19 patients, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is now in the process of converting Mahim Nature Park in Dharavi into quarantine facility. The establishment will have 1200 beds in total.
The facility will be a part of BMC’s plan to set up 35,000 beds in quarantine centres across the city in next 15 days.
BMC is racing against time to increase the capacity of beds across the city to accommodate positive as well as suspected covid-19 patients apart from this critical due to coronavirus infection.
In all the quarantine facility will be the biggest Covid Care Centre 1 (CCC1) (for high-risk contacts and those awaiting test results) in Dharavi which is worst affected areas in the city and is reporting over 30 to 50 positive cases every day.
"The facility is part of mission to rapidly increase the number of beds for both positive and suspected covid 19 patients. As soon as the facility is ready the total bed capacity in Dharavi will increase to 3740," said Kiran Dighavkar, Assistant Municipal Commissioner of G (North) ward.
At a parking lot of Mahalakshmi Race Course, a 200-bed isolation facility is being set up, Mahim Nature Park is being set up with 1200 beds, Richardson and Cruddas factory near Sir JJ Hospital will have 200 beds, Bandra Kurla Complex’s exhibition grounds to house 500 beds; Nehru Science Centre and Andheri Sports complex will have 100 beds each.
The civic body is also preparing 350 municipal schools to create an additional capacity of 35,000 beds. Dr Daksha Shah, deputy Medical officer of Health BMC said, “The one at NESCO is almost ready and will be the biggest quarantine centre in the city.
Another one at NSCI Dome is also ready and we are even planning to have mobile ICU beds in the facility. All these quarantine centres can be used in the next 10 to 15 days." According to details provided with the civic body, 7,500 beds are in place for symptomatic Covid-19 patients in hospitals, with 5,000 beds identified through private facilities.
