Mumbai: After the management of Jaslok Hospital brought to the notice of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation that it had 30 critical patients undergoing treatment for cancer treatment and another 22 patients under cardiac and nephrological treatment, the BMC has amended its order to convert the hospital into a dedicated Covid hospital.
According to its amended order, of the hospital’s total 227 beds, 175 will function as Covid beds, of which 29 will be ICU beds. The 52 beds catering to critical patients will continue to be non-Covid beds, as it is imperative for the BMC to not to risk the lives of those 52 critical non-Covid patients presently admitted in Jaslok hospital, the order said.
“In view of the current surge in COVID19 patients in urgent need of hospitalization, it was decided to convert Jaslok hospital into a dedicated COVID19 hospital, catering to COVID19 patients only and order to that effect was communicated to the management on April 14. However, it has been brought to the BMC’s notice by the hospital management that presently 30 critical patients undergoing cancer treatment and another 22 cardiac/nephro treatment are already admitted in the hospital. Considering their medical condition, shifting them to another hospital at this juncture may prove fatal,” said BMC Commissioner Iqbal Chahal in the amended order issued today.
“Presently, 227 activated beds exist in Jaslok hospital. A total of 172 beds shall function as COVID19 beds of which 29 shall be ICU beds and 52 beds catering to critical patients shall continue to be non-COVID 19 beds. These amendments are to be put in place with immediate effect,” according to the order.
Earlier, Chahal told The Free Press Journal, “There is no question of rollback. As a matter of fact, the management of Jaslok Hospital has approached MCGM with a request that since many serious and critical non-covid patients are presently admitted in the non-Covid wing of Jaslok Hospital, especially those undergoing serious cancer treatment, who may be put to risk if they are suddenly shifted out of the hospital. Therefore, on humanitarian grounds, MCGM will re-assess the status by sending its team and collect factual data and may then partially revise the order."
