The Brihanmumbai Corporation plans to add 300 more beds to the already existing ones in the next 10 days. The BMC has been expecting a surge in the cases of coronavirus in the upcoming days. Therefore, it is getting all geared up to brace itself in the wake of the outbreak.
The surge in cases is expected from three northern wards, P North (Malad, Malwani), R North (Dahisar) and R South (Kandivli) where the average doubling rate is now 12-13 days, as per the data shared by the BMC. Besides increasing the number of beds, the BMC is keen on setting up mobile ICU facilities in the jumbo care facilities at the MMRDA ground in the BKC and NESCO exhibition ground in Goregaon.
To add to the worries of the civic body, the season of monsoon is also knocking on the door. Earlier, the Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had announced that Mumbai is ready to brace the challenges that the southwest monsoon will bring in its wake. The Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) had earlier approved of the pre-monsoon repairs and works on 107 slum projects in the city. The SRA has also issued transit passes to developers’ staff and workers.
According to sources, 400 km of nullas in Mumbai have been inspected by drones, those overflowing cleaned with about 77 per cent of cleaning of Mithi river being completed. Water pumps have also been said to be operational and a system of pumping water at the rate of 6,000 litres per second has been put in place. Thackeray had also stated that large-capacity pumps have been installed at Kurla and Sion to prevent waterlogging. Monsoon brings with it not only rain but many diseases like malaria and dengue. The spread of the diseases could further burden the hospitals that are already dealing with the coronavirus. The CM has further directed state agencies to coordinate and plan so that water-borne diseases do not spread in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.
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