Sewri TB Hospital to start 10-bed intensive care unit from Feb

Asia's largest tuberculosis hospital in Mumbai, Sewri TB Hospital, will open a 10-bed intensive care unit (ICU) in February 2024 for tuberculosis patients with acute respiratory failure. The decision was made following a report highlighting the struggle of a patient to find an ICU bed in Mumbai hospitals. The hospital is currently in the process of hiring intensivists and a team to handle the ICU. TB patients often require high flow oxygen, which the ICU can provide. TB activists are calling for more ICU beds for TB patients in public hospitals in the city.

Mumbai: Sewri TB Hospital, which is Asia’s largest tuberculosis hospital, is set to start a 10-bed intensive care unit from February 2024. On September 4, HT reported on the struggle of a 44-year-old multi-drug tuberculosis (MDR-TB) patient to get an ICU bed for her in Mumbai hospitals and finding one 45 km away from the city.

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Post the report, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) expedited the 10-bed ICU work at Group of Tuberculosis Hospitals (GTB Hospitals) in Sewri (popularly known as Sewri TB Hospital).

Dr Sudhakar Shinde, the additional municipal commissioner (health) said, “We will be starting the intermediate respiratory care unit (IRCU) in February. It will be for monitoring and providing assistance to TB patients with acute respiratory failure who require non-invasive mechanical ventilation.”

BMC health officials said they are in process of hiring intensivits and a team to handle the IRCU.

The most common indication for TB-related ICU admission is acute respiratory failure due to pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) — a life-threatening lung injury that allows fluid to leak into the lungs. As per medical literature, up to 3% of all patients with TB require ICU admission, a high proportion considering the availability of curative treatment.

“Most of the TB patients require high flow oxygen, which the IRCU can help. At present, we have two make-shift IRCU beds where we are also managing patients post the surgeries,” said a doctor from Sewri TB Hospital.

Welcoming the BMC’s decision to start the IRCU facility at Sewri TB Hospital, Ganesh Acharya, TB survivor and TB activist, who has been witnessing the struggles of TB patients getting ICU beds in the city hospitals said, the city needs more IRCU beds for TB patients in public set-up.

“I received at least 5-6 calls every month for ICU beds. It is sad that Asia’s largest TB facility did not have an IRCU. The TB patients in need of IRCU are generally kept in general ward and given oxygen support. Why should any TB patient die because there are no ICU facilities for them in the city,” he questioned.

Acharya said with the city being the capital of TB and having the largest number of multi-drug resistant TB patients, health authorities should have more IRCU in public hospitals. “We need a facility in Western suburb, Central suburb and in the city side and there has to be a system for an official to coordinate beds instead of making relatives run around,” he said.