COVID centres and facilities in Mumbai to be managed by agencies

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) recently informed that the 1,700-bed Jumbo Covid Care Centre in Kanjurmarg was handed over by CIDCO, and is ready for operations, which will be managed by the agency appointed by the civic body. As per the report published in the Mid-Day, this facility will be run as an extension of a private hospital.

Similar management was earlier outsourced for COVID centres in BKC and NESCO, and will also be implemented at the in Malad, Sion and Dahisar.

Clarifying the matters, the municipal corporation has confirmed that the body will not be using public funds for this project. While the Kanjurmarg facility is ready for use, the civic body is yet to give permission for the other facilities, however, private firms and hospitals are invited to submit an application to manage the responsibility of the facilities.

The COVID centre in Malad is ready for use since the last two months, while officials are planning to inaugurate the Sion facility by the end of October. A total of 20,000 beds will be made available across the Jumbo facilities with additional 10,000 beds at the dedicated hospitals.

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Meanwhile, the report quoted Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani who said, “We have appointed the private players but have not yet given work orders as it will be given whenever the need arises. Currently, we have not activated the new centres as the Covid cases are manageable and these centres will be made operational if and when the rise in cases is noticed. For the first time, we are trying a new strategy where we will be operating these centres partially and releasing payments also in parts, instead of wasting public money. Because it should not be like we operate the entire facility but hardly half of it is occupied. So, we will give them work orders depending on the cases.”

It is being said that the BMC has mentioned in partial operations and phase-wise payments in the tender, and officials have decided to take chances in this case.

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