With the Mulund-Bhandup region seeing a surge in coronavirus cases over the past few weeks, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has established a 38-bed COVID ICU unit at the Mulund octroi checkpoint that has been non-functional for a while now. Impressively, the civic body managed to set up this centre in just over a week’s time.
This newly established unit has ventilators, para-monitors, oxygen cylinders, ICU beds, BiPAP machines, and para-monitors as well as adequate doctors and nurses.
However, the facility is still waiting for liquid oxygen so that it can start admitting patients at the premises. Multiple agencies have assisted BMC to appoint nurses and doctors required to run the newly built facility.
Assistant Municipal Commissioner of the T-Ward, Kishori Gandhi said, “We had started work on the ICU unit since there was a shortage of ICU beds. We have got 12 ventilators and 26 Bi-PAP machines. We have four Dura cylinders and we will get four more. The unit is air-conditioned and there is a generator backup too.”
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Gandhi added that the oxygen supply will begin by Tuesday, April 27. Meanwhile, an unnamed civic official said that the ward will enter into an agreement with an oxygen provider to ensure a steady supply.
Separately, Mulund BJP MLA Mihir Kotecha said that this new facility will provide much-needed relief to patients in the vicinity. “We have over 3,000 active cases in Mulund, and there is a desperate need for ICU beds since most patients are from buildings and are senior citizens,” Kotecha was quoted as saying by TOI.
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“It’s a welcome move that BMC has started a 38-bed dedicated ICU unit at octroi naka so quickly. We have helped BMC in sourcing equipment and getting doctors and healthcare support staff. They will work round-the-clock in shifts. There will also be 60 regular beds of those discharged from ICU before they can go home,” he went on to say.
The MLA added that the civic body should make sure necessary oxygen is supplied to the centre immediately, adding “BMC must focus on building small ICU units, which is the need of the hour, and not only jumbo centres, which will take months to get ready.”
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