There has been a sudden spike in the number of active cases across the city but most of the beds at the Covid Care Centre (CCC) facilities are lying unoccupied. According to the data provided by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), only 5 per cent of the beds of all the CCC facilities across Mumbai are occupied.
In order to cut down revenue, earlier in August, the civic body had declared to shut down most of the CCC facilities and isolation centres.
Presently, there are 66 CCC facilities in all of the 24 wards. The facilities have a total capacity of 70,237 beds of which only 3,737 beds are occupied.
Civic health officials attributed the reason behind empty beds in the CCC facilities is because of a rise in asymptomatic cases.
"Most of the cases are now coming from residential buildings and housing societies. This is why patients are being quarantined at a separate room instead of moving them into a hospital or dedicated CCC facilities," said Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Harshad Kale.
A civic health official informed that there has been a fall in the number of active cases recently and if the trend continues then the civic body might close some more CCC facilities soon.
"Maintaining the CCC facilities is a costly affair if the trend continues, then some more facilities would have to be shut down again," the official informed.
Meanwhile, civic corporators informed, many of the isolation wards are lying idle without any patients are causing a loss to the taxpayer's money. BJP Corporator, Pratibha Shinde stated in Malad (P-North Ward) in each of the isolation wards, half of the beds are unoccupied.
"The civic body can merge two isolation centres into one. It's a huge loss of public money. Mattresses and beds are lying idle also the electricity bill are also high" the Corporator stated.
"In Dahisar two of there are two Isolation centres at Check Naka at Kandarpada however, the facilities provided in these wards are not adequate. The civic body can shut down these centres and increase the beds in the nearby civic-run Bhagwati Hospital," said BJP corporator Jagdish Oza from Dahisar .
