On Sunday, Dharavi reported 34 new cases, which is the highest single-day tally for this slums area so far. This takes the total number of cases in Dharavi to 275 including 14 deaths. The area had reported its first case and death on April 1. Given that it is a densely populated area, the authorities have been in a state of panic ever since.
And rightly so, as within 26 days, the total number of positive cases in Dharavi has touched. These cases have been reported from Social Nagar, Mukund Nagar, Muslim Nagar, PMGP Colony. Moreover, cases have also emerged from newer slum pockets including Vijay Nagar, Shatabdi Nagar, Palkar chawl, Kamla Nehru Nagar, Dhorwada.
In the meantime, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has increased its institutional quarantine capacity after the five-member Central team made a recommendation. The BMC has increased the capacity in Dharavi from 1,000 beds to 2,300 beds. The expansion will assist the civic body in segregating high-risk contacts of the patients along with asymptomatic contacts.
350 doctors' clinics will reopen as COVID-19 screening centres from today, which may help ease the burden of BMC as these clinics will be used as screening centres and the Mahim-Dharavi Medical Practitioners’ Association will provide their medical services to Dharavi residents.
The civic body will provide PPE kits to the medical workers and disinfect all the clinics before they reopen. Currently, the municipal corporation has been going door-to-door to screen the residents of Asia's largest slum. The screening in Dharavi is focused on these five regions: Madina Nagar, Muslim Nagar, Mukund Nagar, Kalyanwadi, and Social Nagar. These five slum pockets have a combined population of about 50,000.
The doctors will initially conduct screening. If necessary, they will be sent to BMC quarantine centres and if the doctors feel that the person is showing symptoms, then they will refer testing of the person.
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