Thane civic body proposes to shut 2 Covid facilities for paucity of patients

While the state government is preparing for an active Covid-19 caseload of 1.2 million cases in the third wave, Thane Municipal Corporation has proposed to shut its Thane Global Covid Hospital and the Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad Stadium due to scarcity of patients at present

While the state government is preparing for an active Covid-19 caseload of 1.2 million cases in the third wave, Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has proposed to shut its Thane Global Covid Hospital and the Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad Stadium due to scarcity of patients at present. The civic officials have claimed that the jumbo facility at Avalon Parking Plaza and the Covid Care Centre, however, will be operational.

Thane Global Hospital, one of the two Covid facilities that the Thane Municipal Corporation proposes to shut due to lack of patients. (PRAFUL GANGURDE/HT FILE PHOTO)

The city, at present, has around 380 active cases with a caseload of 35 to 50 cases on a daily basis. The recovery rate is 98.25% while the growth rate of the last one week is 0.03%. The corporation has claimed that there are hardly any patients admitted to these two Covid hospitals and if and when the third wave demands additional facilities, these can be easily set up as the entire mechanism is in place.

Manish Joshi, deputy municipal commissioner, said, “There are merely 20 patients in the 1,076-bed Thane Global Hospital while four are admitted at the Kausa Hospital, which has a capacity of 450 beds. At present, the operational cost of these hospitals is ₹5.5Cr per month. We are closing these facilities. However, the 1,000-bed facility at Parking Plaza will be operational along with the one at Bhayander Pada.”

Thane Global Hospital was set up during the first wave in June 2020. More than 15,000 people have been treated at this hospital while more than 94,000 vaccinations were administered from this hospital.

The corporation has also added a paediatric ward at the Parking facility. Joshi claimed that they are ready for the third wave with all the machinery in place. He added, “In the second wave, we had 53 metric tons of oxygen availability per day, which is three times at present for the third wave. The beds are also in abundance compared to the present requirement and more can be added when there is a demand.”

The proposal will be tabled in the general body meeting to be held on November 18.