Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has so far spent over Rs 10 lakh in quarantining suspected COVID-19 patients at the Seven Hills Hospital. It costs almost Rs 3 lakh per day to keep the 271 patients currently under quarantine, this amount being the fixed and variable costs of attending to patients.
Considering the probable 14-day period, maintaining quarantine facilities will be a huge financial burden on the civic body.The BMC has budgeted Rs 1,000 per quarantined patient daily. The per day expenditure for all such patients is likely to go up by Rs 5 lakh, as it plans to increase the number of beds by 500 by this weekend.
Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner, health, said the hospital staff was taking the necessary precautions in the treatment of suspected coronavirus patients. The budget provides for precautionary kits and other protective gear for doctors and staffers handling patients.
“Over Rs 400 is spent per patient, to provide them with food, masks and other precautionary items, while Rs 600 is spent on staffers and doctors in close contact with suspected cases,” he said.
Kakani said for every patient, there is a team of four, including a doctor and para-medical staff. Two masks per patient and three surgical masks and gloves to the team in direct contact.
“We provide 16 masks and 16 pairs of gloves to each hospital staff member, including doctors, nurses and ward boys daily,” he explained.
Patients can choose the food they want to eat while in hospital.
“Patients are provided with a menu. If anyone wants to order from outside, we have caterers for that but for this privilege, patients have to pay out of their own pockets,” said Kakani.
They have also been given facilities such as internet access, magazines and other facilities, to keep them occupied.
