Mumbai: Isolation wards are to be set up at the state-run Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy Hospital, for the treatment of coronavirus patients. In the meanwhile, hospital authorities have sent a list of the equipment required for the setting up of a coronavirus testing laboratory at the earliest.
On Thursday, the number of coronavirus cases in Mumbai went up to 18. These patients are currently undergoing treatment at the civic-run Kasturba Gandhi Hospital.
Dr Pallavi Saple, dean, JJ Hospital, said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is taking all the necessary steps to tackle the increasing number of corona cases in the city, for which they have directed the hospitals to be ready with isolation beds. “We are also ready to attend to patients, for which we have to design three sets of isolation wards - one where patients will need observational care, a second where patients require critical care and the third one for patients on ventilators,” she said.
Meanwhile, the hospital administration has decided to distribute medicines that will last senior citizens for two-three months at a time, to spare them the risk of exposure as they wait at the geriatric outpatient department (OPD).
“Senior citizens with comorbidities are more vulnerable to coronavirus, due to low immunity. A separate OPD will be made for them so that they will be separated from other patients. We will also provide them with medicines for the next two to three months,” Saple said.
Dr Ramesh Bharmal, dean of BYL Nair hospital and the medical director of the four-civic-run hospitals, said they had decided to suspend all surgeries except for selective ones, to avoid crowding at hospitals. However, OPD and emergency services will be functional.
