Mumbai, May 15: In view of the impending cyclone Tauktae, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is shifting more than 500 Covid patients from the Dahisar, Bandra-Kurla Complex and Mulund jumbo Covid centres to the nearest jumbo Covid centres and hospitals for their safety.
The civic officials said they are taking all precautionary measures following which patients are being shifted now so that they don’t have to wait till the last moment.
The cyclonic storm intensified and was heading towards the coast of Gujarat, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday evening.
Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner in charge of BMC’s public health department, said they have planned to shift 581 Covid patients, of which 243 patients are from BKC jumbo centre, 184 patients from Dahisar jumbo centres and 154 from the Mulund jumbo centre. They had stopped admitting new Covid patients at the jumbo facility in anticipation of the cyclone.
“We have vacant beds at Nesco jumbo facility in Goregaon and at SevenHills Hospital in Andheri, where patients can be shifted. Ambulances with oxygen, doctors and ICU beds are all on stand-by. All necessary precautions have been taken at all the hospitals to handle patients shifted from the jumbo facilities,” he said. Moreover, patients from Mulund Jumbo COVID centres have already been shifted to Mumbai's Rajawadi hospital, Bhabha hospital, and Agarwal School.
Dr Deepa Shriyan, dean, Dahisar jumbo Covid centre, said they are shifting a total of 285 Covid patients who will be shifted to the DCHC, DCH and CC2. About 100 patients are on oxygen support and they will be shifted to Nesco Covid centre. As many as 85 patients are kept in ICU and they will be shifted to SevenHill Hospital and 60 Covid patients will be sent to Rustomjee which is a CC2 centre.
“We have got the green signal from the civic body to shift the patients. For now, 60 patients have been shifted to CC2 where all necessary care will be taken by our doctors. Moreover, all the medications and doctors support will be provided to the patients who have been shifted to other centres and hospitals from our jumbo facility,” she said.
Dr Balkrishna Adsul, dean of Sevenhills Hospital, said they are preparing to receive 285 patients from jumbo hospitals such as BKC and Dahisar. “We have started making arrangements for ICU, HDU and oxygen beds. A final call on how many patients will be shifted is still to be taken,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar on Saturday said that all Jumbo Covid centres have been put on standby and it is being decided whether the patients in them need to be shifted to other places or not due to the cyclone.
"All Jumbo Covid centres have been asked to remain on standby and if needed, patients to be shifted to other places. We will have an update if patients need to be shifted. We are keeping a tab on the situation closely," Pednekar said in a press meet.
Mumbai can expect strong winds, heavy rainfall: IMD
Mumbai, May 15: There will be strong winds and heavy rainfall at isolated places on May 17 over north Konkan, including Mumbai as the cyclonic storm Tauktae intensified, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday evening.
The cyclonic storm was heading towards the coast of Gujarat and the Union Territory of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, it said.
The state capital can expect showers from Sunday afternoon, said Shubhani Bhute, senior director (weather) IMD, Mumbai. The storm is currently 250 km south-west of Goa, she added.
In Kerala, the cyclonic storm caused widespread damage across the state especially along the coastal areas on Saturday. Houses were damaged in the rain which also inundated several places in the state besides disrupting power supply in several parts. A red alert has been declared in eight districts of Kerala.
