The municipal corporation has started making arrangements to avoid a panic situation over swine flu.
In the next two days, the corporation will start three new isolation wards in its hospitals in the suburbs and island city.
In addition, the state government will allow some private hospitals to treat swine flu patients.
On Thursday, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan said that all government, civic and some private hospitals have been identified to tackle the highly contagious swine flu threat.
The decision will be convenient for those who can afford treatment at private hospitals — they will not be forced to visit government and civic hospitals, such as Kasturba Hospital.
The facility will also be made available at state-run JJ Hospital in Byculla.
Chavan made the announcements in the civic general body meeting where corporators demanded that more centres need to be opened for the convenience of Mumbaiites.
He came down heavily on the media for creating panic and dismissed fears that the disease was spreading like wild fire.
Additional Municipal Commissioner Manisha Mhaiskar said corporation, which does not have its own laboratory to test swine flu cases, plans to set up one at Kasturba Hospital in Chinchpokli.
{{/usCountry}}Additional Municipal Commissioner Manisha Mhaiskar said corporation, which does not have its own laboratory to test swine flu cases, plans to set up one at Kasturba Hospital in Chinchpokli.
{{/usCountry}}Currently, tests on throat swabs to confirm H1N1 virus are done at National Institute of Virology in Pune and Mumbai’s Haffkine Institute.
Mhaiskar said on Friday, civic officials will brief private practitioners on how to “handle suspect swine flu cases”.Asking Mumbaiites not be panic, Mhaiskar said the BMC has “enough stock and facilities”. “Our aim is to prevent the
disease from spreading,” she added.
Mhaiskar said the corporation was setting up rapid response teams at the ward level that would include doctors and para-medical staff to assist school authorities and others in the locality.