COVID-19: Allotment of hospital beds through ‘war rooms’ only, states BMC’s new order

(Credits: Reuters)

Mumbai: Amid surge in COVID-19 cases, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will make an additional 2,269 covid beds available, including 360 ICUs, in private hospitals with immediate effect amid the rising coronavirus cases. These beds will be in addition to more than 3,000 beds currently vacant in Mumbai.

"We will make additional 2,269 covid beds available to our citizens in private hospitals (including 360 ICUs) with immediate effect. This will be in addition to more than 3000 beds currently vacant in Mumbai for covid patients," Iqbal Singh Chahal, BMC Commissioner, said.

He added that all allotment of hospital beds will be done only through 24 Ward War Rooms.

"No bed will be allotted directly to anyone by hospitals. All allotment of hospital beds shall be through 24 Ward War Rooms only and therefore no one should try to procure positive covid reports directly from testing labs."

On Monday, releasing a circular, the BMC said that 80 percent of total COVID-19 beds and all ICU ones at private hospitals will be kept reserved only for Ward War Room allotment to COVID-19 patients.

"No direct admission to any of these reserved beds to be taken by hospitals," the circular had added.

"We are worried due to the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the city, which is a hub of major industrial and financial institutions. To treat coronavirus positive patients, we need to buy as many 1.5 lakh vials of Remdesivir injection so that we can cover maximum patients. We want to avoid any shortage of medicines by hospitals or treatment centres," said Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner (health), BMC.

On Monday, as many as 5,888 new cases were found in Mumbai while 3,561 patients were discharged.