With five positive cases, Dharavi has become a focus area for the BMC in their war against Coronavirus. Dharavi is one of the most cramped space in Mumbai as this 240-hectare slum pocket houses 850,000 residents and the population density stands at 66,000 per square kilometre. While many including experts believe that social distancing is virtually impossible in an area that is as densely populated as Dharavi, BMC is not ready to give up as yet.
As a part of its efforts, BMC on Sunday took over the entire 51-bed privately owned Sai Hospital in Dharavi. This hospital is being turned into an isolation cum-treatment centre. This is first of its kind initiative by BMC to take over an entire hospital with all its staff, doctors and technicians included. These people will be guided under the Epidemic Diseases Act and will help BMC in their fight to combat this spread of Covid-19
Earlier on, BMC along with his team ran a house-to-house survey to ascertain the actual figure of the slum dwellers. Through this exercise, BMC managed to list high-risk people living with co-morbid issues such as cardiac ailments, respiratory problems, hypertension and diabetes, et al. This new facility in Sion will be used to isolate people that asymptomatic along with the high-risk contacts. Even who test positive will be treated at this facility.
BMC officials said that they will be shelling out Rs 30 lakh per month to the management of the hospital for using the hospital and its doctors and staff.
In addition to this, BMC last week had identified Rajiv Gandhi Sports Club in Dharavi as one of the spots and they have turned it around into a 300-bed quarantine facility.
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