Abhijit Bangar, the municipal commissioner of Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has assured that there is no dearth of oxygen beds in the city after complaints poured that patients struggled to get beds last week. The civic chief also assured that the civic body will soon increase the number of ICU beds and ventilators to meet the demand.
Bangar said that the ICU beds available with the civic body will be allotted through the call centre, depending upon the severity of the patients. “The call centre is manned by expert doctors and ICU beds will be given as per the need and sequence,” said Bangar, adding that 80 percent of the beds in private hospitals including ICU beds are now controlled by the civic body.
The city has a sufficient number of general and oxygen beds. “Around 600 oxygen beds at the CIDCO exhibition centre and 300 beds at the Radha Swami Satsang centre are available,” said Bangar. He added that around 500 oxygen beds at the Export centre in Turbhe is available and it will start admitting patients only after there is rise in demand.
However, Bangar said that there is a need to increase the number of ICU beds. “At present, there are around 500 ICU beds in the city and they are filled soon after patients are discharged. There is an equilibrium situation,” he said.
He added that the civic body made an agreement with the MGM Hospital, Kamothe for 100 ICU beds which will be available by April 17. “If requires, we will increase it upto 200 ICU beds,” said Bangar, adding that once the number of ICU beds are more than equilibrium, there will be no problem in getting ICU beds.
