As the number of coronavirus patients is steadily increasing in the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to obtain 50 ventilators on a priority basis.
“We have decided to procure 50 ventilators. A budgetary provision has been made for the same,” said Suresh Kakani, additional commissioner (health), BMC.
He further added that the civic body has also given 60 dysfunctional ventilators, which were lying in the city hospitals have been sent for repairs. At present, BMC has 600 ventilators, which are being used in the four BMC-owned hospitals and Kasturba Gandhi Hospital where the isolation wards have been set up.
The BMC observed that several ventilators were lying unused in other hospitals. Since there has been an increased demand for ventilators in the four hospitals where COVID-19 patients are being treated, they can be used here.
Taking a cue from what has been happening in Italy due to COVID-19 outbreak, BMC has decided to take no chances and ensuring that maximum ventilators can be procured while we still have time. For those unaware, Italy has been facing a severe shortage of ventilators.
Currently, one patient is on a ventilator in Kasturba Gandhi Hospital. Earlier, the 68-year-old Philippines resident who died was kept on ventilation at the same hospital for over 10 days. As of now, the hospital has 100 beds in a quarantine-isolation facility with four ventilators. The ventilator care is needed at the end stage of treatment when the patient has difficulties in breathing.
As the state is trying to fight against the pandemic, the blood banks in the state are running dry. Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Friday has said that the current supply in the banks will last only a week.
After which, Tope urged people to donate blood. He mentioned that blood is not only required to treat people that are suffering from Coronavirus but also in case of other illness.
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