2,500 civic hospital beds in Mumbai kept aside for monsoon-related admissions

Every year, the municipal health department records a spike in cases of dengue, malaria, gastroenteritis and hepatitis A

With the monsoon predicted to hit the city in a couple of weeks, the municipal corporation has set side 2,500 beds for monsoon-related ailments at Mumbai’s major and peripheral hospitals.

HT Photo

Every year, the civic body’s public health department records a spike in cases arising from monsoon troubles such as dengue, malaria, gastroenteritis and hepatitis A. Last year, 17 people succumbed to dengue alone.

“Mosquitoes that carry the dengue and malaria virus are peridomestic. We are already conducting awareness programmes in societies so that people know about the common breeding areas,” said Idzes Kundan, additional municipal commissioner, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

Hospitals have also stocked up three-months’ worth of anti-malarial medicines, he added.

Dr Padmaja Keskar, Mumbai’s executive heath officer, said they have started training doctors to identify patients with dengue, malaria and leptospirosis.

Dr Om Srivastava, a city based infectious disease specialist, people must avoid self-medication and visit a doctor if there are symptoms such as cold, cough and fever lasts for over a week.