BMC to take over 5 ESIC hospitals to add 1,000 Covid beds

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to take over Central government-run Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) hospitals in the city for Covid-19

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to take over Central government-run Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) hospitals in the city for Covid-19 treatment. The civic body plans to add another 1,000 Covid beds in the five ESIC hospitals, of which almost 30% will be reserved for intensive care unit (ICU).

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With the rising number of cases every day, civic-run hospitals are overwhelmed and most private hospitals are also running out of beds for critically-ill patients.

According to BMC data, almost 97% ICU and ventilator beds are occupied by patients with severe breathing difficulties. In an attempt to increase the bed strength, BMC is now going to convert the five ESIC hospitals in Worli, Parel, Kandivli, Andheri and Mulund into full-fledged Covid-19 hospitals.

“With the addition of these five hospitals, we will add another 1,000 beds. 70% of the beds will be reserved for isolation and 30% for ICU. We have already started treating patients in the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Parel,” said Suresh Kakani, additional commissioner, BMC.

At present, the city has five dedicated Covid-19 hospitals — BYL Nair, SevenHills, Kasturba Gandhi, St George and GT hospitals. Of these, barring SevenHills Hospital which is in Marol, all other Covid-19 hospitals are in south Mumbai. So, opening up Covid hospitals in suburbs in Kandivli and Mulund will be helpful to patients.

“At the Kandivli hospital, we will start a 300-bed facility for Covid patients,” Kakani said. The Central government had invested ₹180 crore the construction of the hospital which was inaugurated in 2015 but started functioning only in 2019.

However, the ESIC hospital at Marol in Andheri (East) has been lying dysfunctional after a fire outbreak in 2018 that killed 11 people including patients.

ESIC hospitals come under the Union ministry of labour and employment. Central government employees can avail free treatment at these hospitals all across the country.