3 jumbo centres to be shut for 2 weeks

MUMBAI: A day after a cyclone passed the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday said three jumbo centres – Bandra-kurla Complex (BKC), Dahisar and Mulund – will remain shut for admission of Covid-19 patients for nearly two weeks, as the centres are being made monsoonready.

Sanjeev Jaiswal, additional municipal commissioner, held a meeting the heads of nine departments, including storm water drainage, solid waste management, mechanical and electrical department, fire department, etc. The three jumbo centres have over 3,000 Covid beds, including oxygen, ICU and ventilators. Jaiswal told HT, “In the past one year, we never got all three jumbo centres empty. But this time, due to the cyclone, we shifted the patients, which has given us a chance to undertake all preventive repair and maintenance works. There was no damage to the jumbo centres. We are now going to act on the recommendation of our consultant who had, before the cyclone, submitted a structural audit report. In this report, several recommendations were made, which will now be executed to make the three jumbo centres monsoon-ready.”

According to BMC officials, the works include sanitation of the area, changing water pipelines at several spots, fixing leakages, storm water works, sewage related issues, flooring works and installing additional ropes to the hangars to ensure the makeshift hospital sustains longer.

The BMC over Saturday night and Sunday shifted over 500 Covid patients to nearby hospitals namely Sevenhills and NESCO jumbo centres, considering there was a threat of damage owing to the high wind speed.

Meanwhile, although shut for patients, the BKC jumbo centre will remain operational for vaccination. “Vaccination at Mulund and Dahisar jumbo centres will remain shut for now. However, the BKC jumbo centre will continue with the vaccination drive.”