BMC finding it difficult to send machines it had bought to screen people in CZs to societies, as they are too big to fit inside vehicles
Till now, only one X-Ray machine has been fitted inside a vehicle and sent to Borivli
The 10 portable X-Ray machines to be used for detection of COVID-19 through lung scans at residential societies of containment zones (CZs), purchased by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in July, are now largely being used at jumbo facilities and civic health centres. Reason: the machines are too big to be fitted in vehicles and also they require an external power source, which makes them difficult to be accommodated in residential complexes.
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With much difficulty, only one machine could be fitted inside a larger vehicle and sent to North Mumbai, where it is being used in civic dispensaries.
After the civic body purchased the machines, they were upgraded with artificial intelligence that could analyse the lung scans. While five of the machines have been sent to jumbo facilities at NESCO centre in Goregaon, Dahisar and Borivli, the remaining five were to be sent out in vans last month.
A civic official said that only one machine was fitted into a van and sent to areas in Borivli in the last week of August. "The X-Ray machine requires an external power source and it is a hassle to take it to residential areas. We are currently using it at testing camps, dispensaries and COVID care centres (CCCs)," added the official. So far, more than 60 patients have been screened using the machine at the Punjab Gully COVID care centre and over 40 at dispensaries.
Deputy municipal commissioner Vishwas Shankarwar said the machine was used at Y R Tawde dispensary and they have also decided to use it at the CCCs in all three wards. "We have only one van for now and we are focusing on using it at CCCs to screen people with pneumonia-like symptoms and those who are asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic as well," he added.
Senior civic officials said that two to three machines were being fitted in vans and would be out soon. Additional municipal commissioner, Suresh Kakani said that some of the X-Ray machines were being used at jumbo centres since the footfall was higher there.
"Those who need to be tested can be brought to the CCCs to get screened. Sending them to CZs increases the chances of the infection spreading. So the machines can be placed near a shop or a government building close to a CZ," he added.
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