Mumbai: Nearly 40 per cent coronavirus positive patients, who are being treated in Mumbai, are from outside the city. This was revealed by the information gathered by BMC and state health department. Of the total 278 patients admitted in Mumbai’s various hospitals, 40% are from outside the city.
BMC has appealed to the government to further strengthen facilities in the adjoining cities to ease out the burden. State health department officer told FPJ, ’’Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is struggling to cope up with the situation with the available health infrastructure.
If the number of coronavirus patients rises fast, the civic body has cited it may have to struggle to treat those patients. Already the proposal of three isolation centres at BKC Convention Centre, NSE Exhibition Centre at Goregaon and NSCI Complex, Worli are under the consideration.
However, all the preparations should be completed so that patients can be admitted there,’’ He admitted that Mumbai has emerged as the centre for coronavirus affected people as there are about 50 to 60 suspects are detected every day. Kasturba Gandhi Hospital conducts over 250 tests daily while KEM Hospital’s laboratory can conduct 150 to 200 daily tests.
In addition to this, private hospitals and diagnostic centres have been allowed to conduct tests. BMC has already requested all the private hospitals to reduce their usual rates to 50 percent or Rs 4,000, whichever is less for the isolation bed while medicines will be charged separately.
“However, until testing facilities are strengthened in Thane, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Dombivali and Palghar, the load on laboratories and hospitals in Mumbai will not reduce,’’ the officer said. He further noted that this is despite BMC has arranged 2,100 beds for isolation in civic and private hospitals in the city.
