COVID-19 in Mumbai: Ten jumbo centres activated, lack of manpower seen amidst Omicron scare

COVID-19 in Mumbai: Ten jumbo centres activated, lack of manpower seen amidst Omicron scare

The organisations, who were responsible for the manpower at these centres, failed to get the work order in time.

Dipti SinghUpdated: Monday, December 06, 2021, 09:59 AM IST
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Mumbai: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) emplyees work to prepare a jumbo COVID Care Centre with a capacity of 2000 beds in preparation for possible third wave, in Mumbai, Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021. | PTI Photo

Amid rising concerns over the Omicron variant, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has activated ten jumbo Covid care centres. However, these centres do not have enough manpower with them.

The organisations, who were responsible for the manpower at these centres, failed to get the work order in time.

It has been said that a proposal was tabled by the public health department of BMC in the standing committee. However, the proposal was not approved hence, no work order was issued to them.

The administration will now table a new proposal with changes in the next standing committee meeting, said a senior BMC official.

Expecting a third wave of the pandemic, the BMC had set up close to 6,000 beds, including 738 for ICU and 200 for paediatric cases across five centres.

The BMC had invited expressions of interest from private organizations/ hospitals to manage these centres. A few were shortlisted and the proposal was tabled by the public health department of BMC in the standing committee. The contract was expected to be for three months or until the third wave.

However, the standing committee failed to approve the said proposal. Hence, the plan was put on hold.

The civic body instructed the dean of all jumbo centres and ward officers to activate the facilities and ready them so that they can be open for operations within a day.

"With the rising Omicron threat, we activated the jumbo centres to deal with the worst scenario. Now, a fresh proposal will be tabled before the standing committee with some changes," said BMC additional municipal commissioner (Health) Suresh Kakani.

He added that the arrangement was put in place only to deal with an increase in patients.

“Currently, daily cases in Mumbai are completely under control, and the patient population is steadily declining by each day and the situation is in grip,” Kakani added.

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