Parel society to set up in-house ICU and quarantine unit

A housing complex in Parel plans to set up its own isolation facilities and intensive care unit (ICU). Ashok Towers, comprising four high-rise buildings which house

A housing complex in Parel plans to set up its own isolation facilities and intensive care unit (ICU). Ashok Towers, comprising four high-rise buildings which house around 650 families, hopes to use empty flats in the complex as well as the club house and party hall in its premises to set up medical facilities for residents.

Dr Nilesh Shah, a member of Ashok Towers’s managing committee, said, “We are in the process of identifying space for setting up facilities up to ICU beds in our club house and party hall, and are in the process of procuring necessary apparatus for the same. Ours is a private initiative that in a way supports the government as we become self-reliant this way.”

The initiative has been taken by around 20 medical professionals who live in Ashok Towers. While they are yet to finalise their plans, they hope to accommodate five isolation beds and three beds in the ICU. These facilities will not cater to critically-ill patients, but are intended for asymptomatic carriers and those with mild cases of Covid-19. The housing society’s members said that if a resident tests positive for the virus, medical facilities on the premises will ease the burden on private and government hospitals.

So far, four residents of Ashok Towers have contracted Covid-19. Of these, only one required hospitalisation. According to BMC’s data, more than 50% of those who test positive for Covid-19 are asymptomatic, and not more than 10% require hospitalisation.

Shah said, “We are drafting our own standard operating process, and it will be implemented with the assistance of around 20-25 medical professionals from our housing complex. If there is any regulatory process with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), we will get it done in the coming days.”

Residents are also planning to set up quarantine facilities in the empty flats in the housing complex, for patients with mild symptoms or the asymptomatic. ICU beds would be set up in the club house and party hall. Society members said they have procured oxygen cylinders, and are in the process of procuring beds, basic medicine for treatment and other equipment.

Sarika Poddar, secretary of Ashok Towers, said, “We are also housing our essential staff (security, gardening) in our club house to ensure there is no commuting of outsiders in the society. We are also planning to allow house maids to work in few houses that require help, owing to them housing senior citizens. However, all housekeeping staff will reside in our club house where we are arranging accommodation, and will also have to quarantine themselves after entering the society and reporting to work.”

On Wednesday, Congress legislator and Mumbai city guardian minister Aslam Shaikh requested BMC to give permission to housing societies to set up isolation facilities in clubhouses and recreational centres on their premises. Shaikh had said asymptomatic patients from the a society can be quarantined there instead of at Covid care centres. The BMC is yet to regulate on this issue.

Non-availability of beds for Covid-19 patients has been a persistent concern for the BMC, particularly in the last two weeks. While BMC has set up war rooms for each of the 24 wards in the city to facilitate bed allotment, the civic body has also appealed that citizens who test positive should consult BMC’s health officer to figure out whether they can quarantine at home or need to be admitted to either an isolation facility or a hospital.

As of June 9, around 75% of the beds for Covid-19 patients were full. Of the 17,835 available beds, around 13,390 beds were occupied. Of the beds in ICUs, 99% were occupied and 96% of ventilators were occupied.

Dr Siddarth Paliwal, a Mumbai-based health consultant with a private hospital, said, “Medically, there is no problem in having isolation or ICU beds facility in a housing society, if it benefits the both the government and citizens. However, there should be round-the-clock availability of a medical professional to ensure the health of the patient is monitored.”