BMC says risk of shifting patients from centres will remain as the city is expected to receive heavy showers over the next three months
Some parts of BKC jumbo centre got damaged last month due to Tauktae. File pic
After one month of closure of BKC, Dahisar and Mulund jumbo covid centres after they got damaged in Tauktae cyclone, the BMC decided to keep them close till further notice. The centres were closed for repairing and the decision taken amid the lower number of cases. Though the hospitals are closed the vaccination centres at the premises will be active.
The temporary structures set up by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) at Mulund, BKC and Dahisar could not withstand the gusty winds brought in by Cyclone Tauktae on May 17. The BMC had already shifted all the 580 patients, 243 from BKC, 183 from Dahira and 154 from Mulund jumbo centre to the NESCO, SevenHills units and nearby hospitals on the previous day. The patients remained safe at other units, the centres needed immediate repairing. “We told the contractors to repair them within 10 days. Till then we decided to close the admission,” said one of the BMC officials.
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Though initially, the centres were supposed to open after ten days, the decision of opening them was remaining pending for another two weeks. On Wednesday, the BMC administration took a decision to close them until further notice. “There was some damage to the shed at the compound but the main structure of the COVID centre was intact. The repairing is complete but the corporation has taken a decision on Wednesday to keep the centre close as there are very few patients reporting in the city,” Dr. Rajesh Dere, head of the BKC centre. He added that the vaccination centre will be active and 400 doses will be administered per day.
“There are very few cases, so these three centres will remain close as of now. The covid cases are few and the number of admissions is fewer. We can start these centres as and when required. The other jumbo centre at NESCO, The ICU unit of Mulund which is in a permanent structure, Sevenhills hospitals are open,” said Suresh Kakani, additional commissioner of the BMC.
“There is a possibility of strong winds and heavy rain in the next three months of monsoon. There is always a risk of shifting patients from these temporary structures of covid centres, besides there is no urgent need for additional beds as the covid cases are on the decline,” said another official from the BMC who attended the meeting.
The BMC decided in March to not close Corona Care Centre 1 (for high-risk contacts) and Corona Care Centre 2 (for asymptomatic patients) amid the risk of the second wave. But these centres were also unutilised during the peak of the second wave.
"All the three centres can be activated within a week. We have decided criteria of activation. These centres will be asked to reopen after the occupation of 60 per cent of beds at other covid hospitals," said Suresh Kakani.
Jumbo Covid Hospital in Bandra-Kurla Complex
This Hospital set up by the MMRDA on the ground in their Bandra-Kurla complex area and handed over to the Corporation. The centre started on May 18 2020. The 2,328-bed hospital has treated 24,149 patients so far. The 2,328 beds in this centre have 67 ventilators, 108 ICUs and 896 oxygen beds.
Jumbo Covid Hospital in Mulund
The Jumbo Covid Hospital has been in service since July 16, 2020. In this 1,708-bed hospital, 12,927 patients were treated. Out of 1,708 beds, 58 beds have ICU facility, 38 beds with ventilators, and 969 oxygen beds.
Dahisar Jumbo Covid Hospital
The centre came into service on July 27, 2020. So far 10 thousand 151 patients have been treated in this hospital. Out of 1,061 beds, there are 16 ventilators, 100 ICU beds and 672 oxygen beds.
No. of beds available - 20,708
- Occupied beds - 4958
- Available beds - 15,750
Overall, there are six Jumbo Covid Centres and one hospital (seven hills) which BMC started during the last year to treat covid patients. The overall capacity of all the jumbo centres is 8,925 beds and more than 4,600 manpower working for these centres.
The situation at other covid hospitals
- Goregaon NESCO centre out of 2221 beds only 190 are occupied.
- At Worli NSCI centre, out of 597 beds, only 79 are occupied.
- Byculla jumbo centre at Richardson & Krudas ground with 100beds capacity is also closed for renovation.
- At Andheri, seven hills hospital, out of 1750, 850 beds are occupied.
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