Although the drop in daily COVID-19 cases in Mumbai is noticeable since the last few days, BMC commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal said the civic corporation is involved in preparations for the third wave.
Field hospital constructions are currently underway at Malad, Kanjurmarg, Sion and Mahalaxmi racecourse. Except for the racecourse hospital, which will have 500 beds, the others will have 2,000 beds each.
Talking to the media, Chahal said, "The case numbers are dropping and we do not think that it will take a U-turn again, and this is after we are testing everyone we can. But we are preparing ourselves for the third wave, if any, by having more jumbo field hospitals,” said Chahal.
The BMC officials have informed that about 70 per cent of all beds in these jumbo care centre will be equipped with oxygen facility. The remaining will be the ICU and ventilator beds. This will help to nurse critical COVID-19 patients in the city and shoulder the pressure mounting on hospitals, care centres and other treatment facilities. At present, Mumbai houses six jumbo centres in Dahisar, Kandarpada, Gurgaon, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Worli and Mulund.
These hospitals will add 800 ICU beds to the city’s existing 2,000 ICU beds. “These hospitals are also expected to have in oxygen plants so that there is no transportation required. We have also floated tenders for procurement of 2,000 ventilators now itself,” added Chahal.
However, in addition to these jumbo centres and beds, there are around 65,000 beds for quarantining mild and moderate cases, which eases fears of a shortage. Meanwhile, medical experts and doctors in Mumbai have stated that it will always be better to prepare with more ICU beds and ventilators if the city is not able to cope with the pressure of second wave infections. Though the cases in Mumbai have stabilised, there should be preparations to deal with a third wave also. People also need to be extra cautious for the benefit of all.
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