The BMC is going to start a helpline that will inform patients and relatives about the availability of ventilators and ICU beds in civic hospitals. The issue was discussed in a meeting of the Public Health Committee last week.

Chasing the issue
Shiv Sena corporator and health committee member Dr Anuradha Pednekar, who has been pushing for this, said, “Several times patients have died because of the huge gap in demand and supply of ventilators. In cases of emergency, people rush to the nearest hospitals, but there, they are told about the unavailability of ventilators. This wastes time.”