BMC to add over 3,500 beds to existing capacity for Covid-positive patients

With a spike in the number of Covid-19 cases in the city this week, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to add over 3,500 beds to the existing

With a spike in the number of Covid-19 cases in the city this week, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to add over 3,500 beds to the existing capacity for the treatment of positive patients by May 20. These will include 465 ICU beds.

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Recently, the civic body projected that the number of cases in the city could rise to 70,000 by May end. Currently, around 80 to 90% of patients are asymptomatic and don’t need hospitalisation. Going by this trend, about 7,000 people of the projected 70,000 are likely to need hospital beds. Hence, BMC has decided to increase its bed capacity in a phase-wise manner.

As per the civic health department, as part of the first phase, 478 beds are fully commissioned including eight dialysis units which give dialysis to 25-30 patients daily in BYL Nair Hospital. In the second phase, 465 more beds to be commissioned by 14 May. Once both phases commissioned, Nair hospital will have 943 total beds including 100 intensive care units (ICUs) and neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). In addition to that, 1,306 more beds with 80 ICU units will be added in Seven Hills Hospital by May 20.

“Maybe cases are increasing in some areas, so we’re increasing the number of hospital beds,” Daksha Shah, deputy executive health officer of the BMC, said.

“Considering the urgency of pregnant women, we have decided to keep aside 65 dedicated beds at Nair hospital to provide proper care to pregnant women,’’said Shah.

The BMC will increase 353 beds in King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEM), 260 beds in Sion Hospital, 320 in Cooper Hospital, 250 in Hindu Hruday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray (HBT) Trauma hospital and 135 beds in Shatabdi hospital in Kandivli.

Currently, Mumbai has 2,000 beds each across 26 private, municipal and state government hospitals in the city. The BMC will now increase its existing bed capacity by converting non-Covid beds into Covid beds.

Anticipating the future trajectory of coronavirus, the civic body has kept 25,000 isolation beds ready for asymptomatic patients at hotels, lodges, sports complexes and at marriage halls. The BMC has identified more than 350 municipal schools to create additional capacity of 35,000 beds. The civic body has also identified halls and gymkhanas which can accommodate 20,000 beds and put it on standby.