Maha preps to turn the tide ahead of 3rd wave

MUMBAI: Caught unawares during the second wave of Covid-19, leading to shortage of beds, oxygen and drugs, the state has started implementing a plan in anticipation of the third wave in August-september – augmentation of health infrastructure, reserving beds for children, launching Mission oxygen and vaccinating 60 million people in three months.

As Covid cases started to rise in Amravati in Vidarbha early February, the administration failed to see it as a sign of a second wave and take quick steps. It resulted in daily caseload shooting up to more than 60,000 in April, from less than 3,000 in January. The sudden surge resulted in shortage of beds, acute shortfall of oxygen as well as anti-viral drugs. Although the situation did not worsen much, the health infrastructure was stretched beyond limit. On April 22, the number of active patients was highest at 699,858 which resulted in patients outnumbering the available beds in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur. The oxygen demand, too, went up rapidly, along with shortage of antiviral drug remdesivir, leading to panic. The state learnt its lessons and is now using them to prepare for a potential third wave, say officials.

Health infra

The total number of beds in the state has now gone up to 495,190 as of June 10, against around 80,000 in March 2020. A majority of them are in make-shift jumbo Covid centres. “We were struggling to accommodate patients in areas outside Mumbai as the health facilities did not have enough beds. Taking a cue from jumbo Covid centres in Mumbai, we have asked local authorities to set up temporary hospitals in case of a surge,” said another health department official.

The other problem, as pointed out by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray at the beginning of the second wave, was shortage of trained medical staff to handle facilities. The administration now plans to recruit 16,000 medical staff, including doctors, paramedics and supporting staff.

Mission oxygen

The state barely managed to tide over the demand for oxygen with help from the Centre and private sector. “Against the daily production of 1,250 metric tons (MT), the demand had gone up to more than 1,600 MT at one point in May. The administration was put on high alert. Mantralaya war room saw heightened activity, as officials struggled to meet the demand. A special task force was constituted to look after oxygen supply. We did not want to lose any life due to shortage of the oxygen. The situation was taken seriously by the political leadership and a plan was chalked out to increase the production and take it to 3000 MT daily under Mission Oxygen,” said a top official from state’s public health department.

The government has now begun implementing Mission Oxygen drive to generate 3,000 metric tonnes of oxygen over the next two years, from the current

generation of around 1,300 MT.

Paediatric Covid mgmt

Experts have expressed the fear that children may be the worsthit during the third wave. Maharashtra was among the first few states to constitute a paediatric task force of expert doctors under Dr Suhas Prabhu.

Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has had a couple of meetings. The task force has submitted its draft action plan for the third wave.

The state has directed all district hospitals to reserve 10% of the beds for kids.