BMC to increase COVID-19 testing capacity

The BMC is all geared up to increase its testing capacity by 1,200 tests per day by setting up Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RTPCR) tests at three of the hospitals it runs, namely, Sion, Cooper and Nair hospital.

According to a report by Mumbai Mirror, a work order by for the new machines has been submitted. Currently, the city of Mumbai has six RT-PCR labs - at the BMC-run KEM and Kasturba hospitals, the state-run JJ hospital, the Haffkine Institute in Parel, and the ICMR-run National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health and National Institute of Virology at Hafffkine.

Only July 17, the ICMR and the Union Health Ministry in a joint letter stated that in the surge of the rising number of coronavirus cases, the testing capacities must be enhanced in order to tackle the COVID-19 situation. They also suggested short-term and long-term methods for all states and union territories to enhance their testing capabilities.

Meanwhile, the BMC launched a crackdown on the private hospitals in Mumbai for overcharging the patients suffering from the coronavirus. The twitter page of the CMO further revealed that the civic body had appointed an auditor to look into the complaints issued by patients accusing private hospitals of overcharging them during their treatment for COVID-19.

कोरोनाबाधित रुग्णांकडून उपचारासाठी दामदुप्पट बिल आकारणाऱ्या रुग्णालयांना मुंबई महानगरपालिकेचा दणका!@mybmc cracks down on private hospitals for over-charging COVID-19 patients. pic.twitter.com/q4EYC5fmd5

— Office of Uddhav Thackeray (@OfficeofUT) July 21, 2020

According to the report, the civic body had initiated a refund of ₹1.47 crores from the patients who had been overcharged. The BMC further covered over 1,125 complaints by these people. In this initiative by the BMC, 37 hospitals had been brought under the scanner and the total inflation in the billing was a little over 10 per cent at ₹14.01 crore.

Taking note of the situation, the BMC has also issued instructions on rates that could be charged for the beds commissioned for the COVID-19 patients under which 80 per cent of the beds had been shortlisted in private hospitals.