Third covid wave in Mumbai: BMC hopes for the best, prepares for worst

Even though the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had recently told the Bombay High Court (HC) that it does not anticipate the third wave of Covid to hit the city, for now, the civic body however continues to set up jumbo hospitals.

Interestingly, the civic body has got Mumbai’s private hospitals/firms to run five jumbo Covid centres - BKC, Dahisar, Malad, Somaiya grounds (Sion) and Kanjurmarg.

Management of these five jumbo covid care centres by the private hospitals/firms for three months will cost around Rs 105 crore on the civic body's coffers.

However, the civic officials have justified the move by saying that they are preparing for the worst. "Even as we are not anticipating the third wave, for now, we still do not know for sure what will happen in the near future. Hence keeping that in mind, we will keep the jumbo covid centres activated. We have not given work orders to these organisations. Only In case of a third wave, work orders will be issued to these organisations in phases," said a senior civic official.

Iqbal Singh Chahal, BMC commissioner said: " The city will be ready to face the third wave with its massive infrastructure which is in place."

The BMC has set up new jumbo centres at Malad, Kanjurmarg and Somaiya grounds. All three centres have been handed over to the BMC. The BMC had invited Expressions of interest from private organisations/hospitals to manage Dahisar and BKC jumbo centres. A few organisations have been shortlisted and the proposal will be tabled by the public health department of BMC in the standing committee. The contract will be for a period of three months or until the third wave subsides. However, no work order has been issued to these organisations yet.

The beds in these centres will be allocated by the BMC itself via ward war rooms. The BMC will provide food, laundry, security, sanitation, fire fighting equipment, water, sewage, equipment maintenance. While the contractors are expected to provide and manage health services. The contractors will be responsible for providing the manpower within seven days from the date of issue of the work order. Contractors will be responsible for providing senior consultants, specialist resident medical officers, nurses, ward boys, other workers/ helpers, technicians, etc. as required.