BMC asks them to restore their bed capacity to what it was as of May 5, 2021; also asks them to discharge asymptomatic patients in 3 days
The pediatric ICU at the Jumbo Covid Centre in Malad West. File pic/Suresh Karkera
Of the 7,410 beds reserved for Covid-19 patients by 157 private hospitals and nursing homes during the second wave of the pandemic, 4,098 have been activated now. Some hospitals added 1,221 more such beds, making a total of 5,319 such beds available now in private hospitals. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has given the deadline of January 10 to private hospitals to restore their capacity of beds to what was their peak level of capacity as of May 5, 2021.
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At least 80 per cent of these beds will be kept reserved for municipal ward war rooms and charges will be as per the rates notified by the government of Maharashtra. The BMC has further instructed private hospitals to discharge admitted asymptomatic patients within the next 3 days to vacate beds.
Though there are more than 15,000 beds available with the nine jumbo centres and the SevenHills hospital of the BMC, most patients are reluctant to be admitted to civic-run centres. But around 10 to 12 per cent of patients need hospitalisation. “At least 95 per cent cases are from non-slum areas and there is an increasing demand for beds in private hospitals. So all private hospitals and nursing homes are instructed to increase the bed capacity to the optimum level by January 10,” said an official from the BMC.
BMC issues new circular
As per a new circular of the BMC, all private hospitals and nursing homes will restore their peak level of bed capacity (as per May 5, 2021) on or before January 10, 2022, and update it on the BMC’s bed management dashboard. The in-charge of every ward will ensure augmentation of bed capacity by visiting hospitals. Private hospitals cannot take direct admissions without intimating ward war rooms. No bed will be allotted to asymptomatic patients without comorbidities. A nodal officer for every hospital has to be appointed for coordination.
The charges for treatment of Covid-19 will be as per rates notified by the government of Maharashtra. All bills will be audited by municipal auditors randomly. This would mean 80 per cent of isolation beds in private hospitals will be charged at government rates while hospitals will be allowed to charge as per theirrates in the remaining 20 per cent isolation beds. The 80:20 ratio was first introduced in April 2020 by Maharashtra in to bring down treatment costs for Covid-19.
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Day in January by when hospitals have to restore capacity
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