Covid-19: One isolation bed for 5,246 Mumbai residents
As per the data compiled by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Japan and Korea have more than 10 isolation beds per 1,000 citizens. Countries such as Russia, Germany, Poland and France have over five isolation beds per 1,000 people.
The city has one isolation bed per 5,246 residents – that is 3,500 beds for a population of 1.84 crore as per the 2011 census. While the civic body plans to double this figure, health experts expressed scepticism over its adequacy, given the rising number of Covid cases and density of the city.
Documents accessed by HT show that Mumbai currently has 2,107 isolation beds across different hospitals. By the end of next week, this number is set to increase to 3,507 after Seven Hills Hospital, Marol converts the entire hospital into the biggest isolation facility in India with a capacity of 1,500 beds. At present, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has started 100 isolation beds and will add 20 intensive care units (ICU) at the hospital.
“The current capacity, although less for a city like Mumbai, seems adequate for now. But it will not be enough to isolate patients if community transmission starts,” said Dr Abhijit More, activist, Jan Swasth Abhiyan. “In addition to beds, the BMC should also request retired doctors and medical staffers to join the force to attend to patients. A backup plan should be prepared.”
As per the data compiled by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Japan and Korea have more than 10 isolation beds per 1,000 citizens. Countries such as Russia, Germany, Poland and France have over five isolation beds per 1,000 people.
Dr Manohar Kamath, general secretary of Consumer Guidance Society of India (CGSI), said while the number of isolation beds is less, it won’t be reasonable to expect a sudden rise. “The number of Covid cases will rise as we are in the borderline of contact and community transmission. The government will, however, require time to set up isolation beds, as we didn’t have the inbuilt infrastructure, which didn’t exist even in the US,” said Kamath. “It is a gradual process, which the government is working on.”
A back-up plan is ready if the novel coronavirus spreads further, said civic officials, with an additional 3,000 isolation beds on stand-by mode across various civic-run hospitals. “Hundreds of isolation beds are lying unused, as non-emergency services at all civic-run hospitals have stopped, which has led to a decrease in the number of patients. If we add those in emergency, the figure will be double,” said Suresh Kakani, additional commissioner, health, BMC.
Kakani said the BMC has divided beds under the category of ‘peripheral and speciality hospitals’ into two phases. Phase one includes Kasturba Hospital with 125 beds, Rajawadi Hospital (100), KB Bhabha Hospital in Kurla (100), HBT Trauma Hospital (100) and KB Bhabha Hospital in Bandra (50). According to data provided by the BMC, 176 of 475 beds were occupied till Tuesday.
In the second phase, the BMC has enlisted another 13 hospitals, including Eye Hospital, Surya Maternity Hospital, Bhagwati Hospital, Maa Hospital, etc. with a total of 555 isolation bed facilities.
“We have kept the second phase as an extension of the first phase. If we run out of beds in the first five civic-hospitals, we will focus on isolating patients in the latter,” added Kakani.
In addition to civic-run hospitals, there are 685 isolation beds with 50 Intensive Care Units (ICU) at the government-run Sir JJ Group of hospitals. Two railway hospitals – central railway hospital have kept 30 beds for isolation and Jagjeevan Ram Hospital under western railway has 10 beds. The Mumbai Port Trust has created a facility for 50 isolation beds.
In March, the BMC released a list of 10 private hospitals (89 beds), which agreed to treat patients in their isolation wards. That number has risen to 22, including trust-run and private hospitals, taking the total number of isolation beds to 197. This new list includes Saboo Siddiqui (6), Saifee Hospital (1), Bhatia (10), Wockhardt Hospital (9), Global (10), BJ Wadia (20), Shushrusha (10), Holy Family (1), SRV (15), Hindu Sabha (9), LH Hiranandani (4) and Nanavati (4).
Health officials said at present almost 80% beds are lying vacant which highlights that the outbreak of coronavirus hasn’t yet flared up in Mumbai. From January 1, 2020, 2,523 suspected patients with risk factors have been admitted in hospitals and 330 have been identified with COVID-19 in the city till April 4. “We are also hunting for abandoned hospitals and places to start isolation facilities,” said Kakani.
Anant Bhant, global health researcher, said China, with more population than India, has reserved 4.3 beds per 1,000 humans; India has only 0.5 beds for 1,000 people and the US is struggling to find isolation beds.
“Isolation is a process to keep the patients separated, and therefore any place can been converted into an isolation ward. More than isolation beds, we need to be prepared with essential medicinal material like oxygen cylinders, protective kits to treat patients in isolation,” said Bhant.
