As daily Covid-19 cases inch towards the 10,000-mark in Mumbai, the number of hospital beds in the city is being enhanced significantly – given the fact that the peak of the second wave is still away.
The Maharashtra government and the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has launched massive efforts to augment bed strength in the financial capital.
The twin districts of Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban currently have over 62,000 active Covid-19 cases, with more than 80 per cent of patients asymptomatic.
The DCH and DCHC – for serious and moderate patients and complicated cases – and Jumbo Field Hospitals have a total of 14,769 beds.
The active CCC2 beds for mild and asymptomatic patients are now 23,806 beds. There are 1,800 ICU beds, 1131 ventilator beds and 9,180 oxygen beds.
“We have operationalised additional 3,000 DCHC/DCH Covid beds in various hospitals in Mumbai in the last 7 days,” Mumbai’s municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal said.
According to him, the BMC has also operationalised 30 CCC2 facilities for asymptomatic positive patients in the last 7 days with a capacity to accommodate 4,600 patients.
Another 18,300 CCC2 beds are available in reserve with us, he said.
“We appeal to our citizens not to wait for hospitalisation as per their choice of hospital, they should occupy beds wherever available for immediate treatment if they are symptomatic as the treatment protocol is similar everywhere and well established now,” he said.
Chahal expressed concern that patients are becoming critical by waiting for "choice hospital".
“Abundant beds are available in other hospitals,” he said.