21 April,2020 07:13 AM IST | Mumbai | A correspondent
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The BMC had restricted admission of other patients to hospitals where positive COVID-19 staff were found. This created a lot of issues as hospitals had to turn down several patients who had serious ailments.
However, doctors raised this issue with BMC chief Praveen Pradeshi asking him for a solution during a video conference. Doctors stated that restricting access to non-COVID-19 patients would become a serious issue during emergencies and even for those who needed regular treatment for their ailments. Taking a note, Pardeshi has asked hospitals to start admitting patients to ensure, but before this, he has given instructions to focus on sanitising and fumigating the hospitals before any patients are admitted.
A senior civic official not willing to be named, said, "There were complaints that patients were finding it difficult to get treatment from their regular doctors owing to no new admissions. But now we have been asked to not stop any hospital from admitting new patients. We will make sure that all hospitals are sanitised and fumigated before the admission process begins to avoid any COVID-19 spread."
Meanwhile, the municipal employees union has demanded that the staff working for BMC during this time of crisis should also be tested for COVID-19.
Corporator from E ward which includes areas such as Byculla and Dockyard Road and Bhiwandi MLA, Rais Shaikh of Samajwadi Party is upset with the working of the BMC. In a letter to BMC chief Praveen Pardeshi, he has claimed that situation is worsening In E ward and as of 19 April, more than 200 positive cases, 600 plus high-risk and other 2,500 plus low-risk contacts and about 25 COVID-19 deaths were found in the ward. Also, the plight of the 61 containment zones is deplorable, Shaikh has said in the letter. He has claimed that as per the new policy, the number of tests carried out is less than earlier and that the officials are not up to the mark in tracing contacts.
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