Civic body pulls up socks to take on any COVID eventuality
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has asked all the authorities concerned which include private hospitals, laboratories, dispensaries and the jumbo COVID care centres to strictly adhere to the guidelines and protocols issued in September last year when the pandemic cases were at their peak. Currently, more than 70 per cent of COVID beds are lying vacant across the city. Officials said they are ready to tackle the increasing number of cases and they are taking all necessary measures required to curb the cases
This comes after the active COVID-19 cases in Mumbai registered 36.38 per cent rise from February 8, along with it the doubling rate dropping to 346 days from 574 days and the weekly growth increased to 0.20 per cent from 0.13 per cent during the same period.
“The civic chief had conducted a meeting with all the higher authorities of the private hospitals on Monday directing them to follow the old COVID guidelines issued by BMC which includes a 20:80 beds scheme, covid reports should be submitted within 24 hours and others protocols,” said a senior health official.
Suresh Kakani, Additional Municipal Commissioner, said there are many factors due to which the city has witnessed a surge in COVID-19 cases. One of the factors is increased in coronavirus tests from 13,000 in January to 16,000-18,000 from the last week of February. Moreover, it is mandatory to report the medical test reports of the affected patients to the BMC within 24 hours of the test, and also to upload the information on the relevant website immediately.
“We have reviewed the situation thoroughly and based on that we have directed all the private, government and civic-run hospitals to be alert as the numbers are likely to increase in the next 14 days. Moreover we have asked the laboratories to submit COVID reports within 24 hours to them first and then they will inform the concerned patients about it,” he said.
Kakani said currently they are getting asymptomatic patients due to which they are being asked to be home quarantined for 14 days. They asked all the jumbo facilities to keep beds ready and check all the facilities to ensure there is no problem. “Nearly 75 per cent of beds are lying vacant and only 18 per cent of the COVID patients need hospitalisation,” he said.