Masks must in BMC hospitals

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has made wearing masks compulsory in its hospitals due to a rise in the number of active COVID-19 cases in Mumbai. The BMC has also issued a mask advisory for senior citizens as a precautionary measure and recommended its employees to wear masks. Private hospitals have already made masks compulsory on their premises.

Mumbai: Seeing a rise in the number of active Covid-19 cases in the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has made wearing masks compulsory in its hospitals. The decision was taken in a special review meeting taken by BMC commissioner IS Chahal on Monday.

Mumbai, India - April 10, 2023: Health workers participate in a mock drill after the Union Health Ministry decided to conduct a nationwide mock drill on 10 and 11 April to check the preparedness of both public and private health facilities to deal with the spike in Covid-19 virus cases, at St. George's Hospital, near CSMT Fort, in Mumbai, India, on Monday, April 10, 2023. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT PHOTO) (HT PHOTO)

On Monday, Mumbai reported one death and 95 new Covid cases, taking the active tally to 1,454.

“Everyone in our hospitals has to wear a mask compulsorily. Our security staff at the entrance will instruct the patient, their relatives, visitors and staff to adhere to mask protocol,” said Dr Mangala Gomare, executive health officer, BMC.

The BMC has also issued a mask advisory for senior citizens as a precautionary measure. It has also advised its employees to wear masks. “With the increasing number of Covid patients, senior citizens above 60 years of age are more at risk. Therefore, it is recommended that all senior citizens above 60 years of age, as well as citizens with co-morbidities, should consistently use masks for safety. Although wearing a mask is not mandatory, it is important to take precautions. Masks should be used in public and crowded places,” said Dr Gomare.

Meanwhile, private hospitals have already made masks compulsory on their premises. Jitendra Haryan, CEO, Jaslok Hospital said while they never relaxed the mask mandate in the hospital, especially in clinical areas since the start of the pandemic, they have reinforced it after covid cases started rising.

“Wearing a mask in non-clinical areas like administration and billing offices was not compulsory but now it is for three weeks. We continued with the mask mandate in clinical areas as an extra precaution as covid never went off,” he said. Haryan added that though cases are rising, hospitalisation rates are low.

N Santhanam, CEO, Breach Candy Hospital said they too have mandated wearing masks on their premises. “We are also insisting on an RT PCR test for Covid before surgeries. Sometimes after admission, we see the patient is positive for Covid. As a precaution, we have asked for an RT PCR test before admission,” he said.

The civic body also said in its advisory on Monday that patients undergoing surgery should be tested for covid in all hospitals. It said if a patient is found to be infected with Covid and the surgery is not an emergency, then the surgery should be postponed.