Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - Live
KDMC plans to add 973 beds at Covid centres to meet demand
Move after twin cities face acute shortage of beds in pvt and civic hosps; 378 ICU, 595 oxy beds to come up
KALYAN: The Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) has plans to add 973 new beds at its Covid care centres and hospitals to deal with the acute shortage of beds in civic and private hospitals.
In total, 378 intensive care unit beds and 595 oxygen beds will be added. A 521-bed jumbo facility will be set up in Dombivli with 221 ICU beds and 300 oxygen beds.
As per the health department, the centres at Shaktidham and Vitthalwadi fish market in Kalyan (E) will function in the coming eight days. The civic commissioner had organised a webinar of the state task force for the doctors and civic officials asking to follow basic guidelines while treating a Covid patient.
“We are adding more beds to deal with the shortage of beds. Under the civic-run facilities, we have plans to start four more centres out of which one would be a jumbo centre. The two in Kalyan (E) shall be ready in a week while the others in Dombivli shall also be ready by month end. The work has already begun at these centres,” said Dr Ashwini Patil, medical health officer, KDMC.
In KDMC, out of the 5,867 total beds, which include general beds, beds with oxygen, ventilators and intensive care unit beds, 5,344 are occupied and 523 are vacant. Out of the 653 ICU beds, only three beds are available while out of the 191 ventilator beds, 152 are available.
The facility at Shaktidham in Kalyan (E) will have 83 oxygen beds and 13 intensive care unit beds, the one at fish market in Vitthalwadi will have 44 intensive care unit beds and 52 oxygen beds, another facility at Dombivli Konark building will have 100 intensive care unit beds and 100 oxygen beds.
The Kalyan art gallery, which has 369 beds presently, will have 60 more oxygen beds on its second floor in the coming days. The KDMC has also started a new Covid care centre, Sai Nirvana Rental, with 500 beds.
“At the jumbo facility to be set up in a company in Dombivli MIDC in the first phase, we will start 221 ICU beds and 300 oxygen beds. Later, it will be increased to 800-1,000. Meanwhile there is an addition of three to four private hospitals as
Covid hospitals daily” said Sameer Sarvankar, medical officer, KDMC. “The only issue with private hospitals is by the time they apply for Covid permission, their beds are almost full and hence there is no major addition of beds for Covid patients,” added Sarvankar.
KDMC dashboard, helpline not functional
While several residents try to get information on bed availability in KDMC limits, residents complained that the health department dashboard on the KDMC official website is not functioning. The residents also complained that the war room helpline number was also not helpful as most of the time, there is no response.