Mumbai is one of the worst impacted cities in India for COVID-19 crisis. With the number of cases increasing, the administration is working on a war footing to convert whatever space that they can lay their hands on as COVID-19 care facility.
There were earlier plans to turn stadiums such as the Wankhede Stadium into a COVID care unit. However, given that the monsoon is just around the corner, this plan had to be scrapped as only places that have concrete floors can be deployed.
So now BMC is planning to tap in Mehboob Studios in Bandra, There are plans being chalked to set up a 1,000 bed care center in this iconic studio. For those unaware, the studio is located at the prime spot in Bandra very close to Bandra Bandstand. Many iconic movies such as 2019 hit Bhrat had been shot in this studio. A large part of Radhe which was to release on Eid 2020 too had been shot at Mehboob Studio.
Apart from this, BMC has put up beds at St Xavier’s College and JJ School of Applied Arts, and some rooms and the auditorium of DG Ruparel College in Matunga have also been converted in to a care unit.
The iconic college hall and canteen foyer on St Xavier’s campus has already been converted into a quarantine centre and around 180 beds have been set up. There is a plan to put an additional 70 beds on the terrace of Xavier’s Institute of Management Research building on the campus.
In addition to this, around 80 beds are put up in a hall of JJ School of Applied Arts too and the overall plan is to have 200 beds in this facility. Furthermore, the ground floor hall in the applied arts’ school has been taken over for a quarantine facility with 80 beds. Close contacts of health workers from a Dadar hospital would be kept at Ruparel.
In the recent past too BMC had taken over MMRDA grounds at Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) and NESCO in Goregaon and converted them into COVID-19 care centers.
On Wednesday, Cabinet ministers Aditya Thackeray and Aslam Shaikh had paid a visit to the iconic studio. Once ready, this studio will cater to patients from H west and east wards. For those unaware, H west ward consists of Bandra, Khar and Santacruz. While the H East ward includes parts of Bandra, Kalina and Santacruz. This ward so far has recorded over 1,000 cases and the death toll stands at 35.
Coming back to the H west part, the number of cases recorded are comparatively less as 419 have been reported so far but the death toll stands at 39. There many cases that have been reported from congested slums pockets that are situated in Shastri Nagar, Khar Danda and Gazdarbandh.
While speaking to media, Shaikh said that they are planning to ensure a jumbo facility as it is easier to manage. He also mentioned that the facility at Mehboob will be used to treat patients with mild symptoms and asymptomatic.