With cases decreasing and jumbo facilities going vacant, BMC shifts patients from Laxmi Business Park centre to its BKC facility
Laxmi Business Park CCC2 in Andheri was established in March
Amid decreasing number of cases, a COVID Care Centre 2 (CCC2) at Andheri's Laxmi Business Park, which has treated 2,106 COVID-19 patients in K West ward, shut shop on Monday after its last remaining patients were transferred to the civic body's jumbo facility in BKC over the weekend.
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The BMC-run centre, which saw zero deaths, has 55 staff members including doctors, nurses and ward boys. The patients and staff, after being told of the development on Friday last week, said their goodbyes during a Ganpati celebration on Saturday.
Dr Kusum Gupta, the doctor in-charge at the centre, said, "Everyone is unhappy, we had a family here. We looked after each other. Everybody treats other staff with respect irrespective of their posts. The staff will be dispersed to different locations and may never meet again. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
'Closing unexpected'
The closing of the centre came as a shock, Dr Gupta said. "We did not expect it to be shut so soon," she said. "The Ganpati celebration was a last-minute plan made after we got to know of the closure. Our staff whole-heartedly prepared for the function."
The ward's Assistant Municipal Commissioner Vishwas Mote said, "Cases in our ward have decreased and at the same time, jumbo facilities are almost vacant. So to avoid financial overburden, we closed the CCC2 and transferred all patients. However, the premises will continue to be in BMC's possession for further use in case of an unprecedented rise again. Then we will accommodate patients here."
"Our patients have been kind to us. They'd thank and bless us while getting discharged," Dr Gupta added.
Netas upset over BMC decision
THE BMC's decision to continue the jumbo COVID centre at Dahisar check naka, as it has decided to convert civic-run COVID-19 hospitals into non-COVID ones has been criticised by local politicians. The Dahisar check naka centre has 800 beds.
Local MP Gopal Shetty said the centre is on marsh land so there is constant waterlogging. "This centre is also on the Western Express Highway and the traffic disturbs patients. The government is wasting money on it. The BMC should not play with people's health and their lives. They should close the Dahisar check naka COVID Centre."
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Kandivli corporator Pratibha Girkar said, "It is difficult to stand inside the Dahisar centre in the rainy season. The BMC engineers should move it to a good location which is suitable for people."
Former corporator Abhishek Ghosalkar said, "A few days back there was waterlogging in the check naka area and the water entered the COVID centre."
- Shirish Vaktania
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