The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is constructing a new Jumbo COVID-19 hospital at Malad Mind-Space that will have 22 pediatric beds. This has been done keeping in mind the fears expressed by doctors and experts about a third wave which may affect children. Therefore, the state government is gearing up for the possible challenge and has adopted all preventive measures. As part of this, in almost all hospitals and Jumbo COVID-19 care centre such beds for children will be made available.
The makeshift hospital in Malad will have about 2,100 beds and 190 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds to treat critical patients. Beside this, a distinctive isolation ward and special visiting area for relatives will also be available.
Mumbai's suburban Guardian minister Aditya Thackeray and Malad legislator and Minister Aslam Shaikh along with MMRDA Commissioner R A Rajeev and other officials recently undertook review of the ongoing work. A site visit was also made to understand the planning of the new hospital.
The state government led by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had instructed MMRDA to built another Jumbo COVID-19 makeshift hospital similar to the lines of Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) Jumbo Covid-19 hospital. The existing BKC Jumbo care centre has helped Mumbai to tackle the COVID-19 situation effectively. The BKC jumbo COVID-19 centre was also compared to the Wuhan-type hospitals since it was build in a record break time to control the COVID-19 situation by the MMRDA.
Once Malad's COVID-19 hospital is ready, it will be handed over to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for management. The open land comprising 40,000 sq. mtrs where this Jumbo COVID-19 care centre is coming up has been provided by the corporation.
