Defunct hospitals, clinics may make space for units
With the growing number of coronavirus cases, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is looking at vacant spaces at defunct hospitals and clinics to create more isolation wards in the city. The civic body has constituted a team of officials to make a database of abandoned hospitals, clinic and nursing homes in the city which can be converted into isolation wards.
“We are trying to make use of the already available medical structures instead of building new ones. Many hospitals, clinics and nursing homes are lying unused in the city and so, we are trying to convert them into temporary isolation wards,” said Suresh Kakani, additional commissioner (health), BMC.
BMC has also finalised a plan to reuse an abandoned maternity hospital, which the Lilavati Hospital Trust has agreed to convert
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into an isolation centre, to isolate coronavirus patients. The maternity hospital, which was earlier inspected by civic officials, has a facility of 30 beds, which can be used if the situation gets worst.
Officials are also considering opening of isolation wards at five defunct hospitals, including DS Kothari Hospital at Charni Road and the civic-run MHD Hospital in Bhandup.
“Many of these hospitals are lying vacant, mainly due to legal disputes. So we will also have to take the help of our legal team before setting up the wards. Also, hospitals are approaching us directly to use their structures for the benefit of patients but without conducting inspections, we can’t give a go-ahead,” said Kakani.
According to the BMC, civicrun hospitals would be free after converting them into isolation wards but at private hospitals patients who are admitted to isolation wards would have to pay for the treatment.