Mumbai: BMC to now focus on non-COVID illnesses

A woman is tested for COVID-19 at Tilak Nagar yesterday

After fighting COVID-19, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is now shifting its focus to monsoon-related illnesses. As per the latest decision by the higher authorities, all the BMC hospitals which have been converted into dedicated COVID-19 hospitals and health centres, will open for non-COVID/general treatment. The COVID-19 patients are being directed only to jumbo facilities. The hospitals are gearing up to treat monsoon illnesses like those related to the stomach, malaria and dengue, etc.

Seasonal ailments rising
The BMC says the number of active COVID-19 has decreased to around 17,000. Of these, around 5,000 are symptomatic and another around 1,000 are critical patients. Out of nearly 20,000 beds available (at both private and BMC-run hospitals) for COVID-19 patients, more than 10,000 are vacant. The BMC had taken a decision of shutting down some of the COVID Care Centre 2, which dealt with asymptomatic patients. mid-day was the first to report this on July 28. After reducing the CCC2 capacity to 3,946 from 6,144 in July, now the BMC will look at general treatment - especially of monsoon illnesses, as they are rising after the heavy to very heavy rainfall from the first week of August. However, currently there are no exact figures of these illnesses.

Motorists drive through the rain yesterday at Kurla. Monsoon-related illnesses are rising since heavy rainfall in August. Pics/Sayyed Sameer Abedi and Shadab Khan

The BMC has converted eight of its hospitals including Nair, KEM, Sion, Kasturba, Seven Hills, HBT- Jogeshwari, Cooper and BDBA -Kandivli into dedicated COVID-19 hospitals and another 13 of its hospitals (peripheral and special) into dedicated COVID health centres. These hospitals include Bandra Bhabha, Kurla Bhabha, Govandi Shatabdi, Maa, Rajawadi, S K Patil-Malad, Bhagwati-Borivli, etc.

Freeing space in hospitals
"The serious COVID-19 patients are now being directed to jumbo facilities. These are equipped with ICU and dedicated staff. All the BMC hospitals will now shift to pre-COVID treatments in the next few days. The BMC hospitals are focusing on monsoon illnesses as it is the need of the hour," said Dr Ramesh Bharmal, director of major hospitals of the BMC.

"All the COVID hospitals of the BMC now will be both for COVID as well as non-COVID patients. Only Seven Hills hospital at Andheri which is only for COVID-19 patients, will function as it is," said Additional Commissioner of the BMC, Suresh Kakani.

The BMC has set up five jumbo facilities at Mahalaxmi, BKC, Mulund, Dahisar and Goregaon with a total capacity of 7,285 beds, including 612 ICU beds.

The BMC outsourced 70 per cent of the 7,285 beds to private hospitals, while around 2,000 are under the corporation. From now on, all the serious COVID-19 patients
will be directed to these facilities only to free space in the BMC's hospitals to use them for other
illnesses.

COVID figures in city

. No. of active patients: 17,584
. Critical among those: 1,111
. Bed capacity: 19,998
. Beds available: 10,301
. Capacity of jumbo facilities: 7,285
. ICU beds in these facilities: 612

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