State tells BMC to increase bed capacity for Covid-19 patients to 7K from current 2K

The state government has directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to increase the bed capacity in the city’s hospitals to 7,000 from the current 2,000.

The state government has directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to increase the bed capacity in the city’s hospitals to 7,000 from the current 2,000.

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This comes after an official estimated projection that the number of Covid-19 positive cases in the city will rise to 70,000 by mid-May or May end. Currently, around 80 to 90% of patients are asymptomatic and don’t need hospitalisation, going by this trend about 7,000 people (10%) of the projected 70,000 are likely to need hospital beds.

Manisha Mhaiskar, principal secretary on special deputation to the BMC, as part of the core team of bureaucrats handling Covid-19 matters in the city, said, “All positive patients do not need hospitalisation. Going by the present figures, around 80% to 90% of the patients are asymptomatic. As per the projections, around 7,000 patients that show symptoms will need to be hospitalised. Thus, the BMC and private hospitals will have to ramp up to a capacity of 7,000 beds.”

The number of cases in Mumbai is doubling every 7 days hence official reports project the figure at 70,000 by mid-May or May-end.

Currently, Mumbai has 2,000 beds each across 26 private, municipal and state government hospitals in the city. BMC will now increase this capacity to 7,000 by converting non-Covid beds into those reserved for coronavirus patients.

On priority, the capacity of existing Covid-19 hospitals will be increased and if required more private hospitals will be roped in to meet the demand of 7,000 beds. Preparations will include making oxygen points available at each bed and ventilators at some. “All Covid-19 patients do not need ventilators, only about 5% of the critical ones do. But all beds catering to Covid-19 patients must have oxygen points,” added Mhaiskar. BMC made the current 2,000 beds available by converting some of its current infrastructure. For example, from the Nair hospital at Mumbai Central, which was recently converted into a Covid-only facility, all non-Covid but critical patients were shifted to KEM Hospital at Parel and Sion Hospital.

The civic body has also put elective medical procedures - such as a knee surgery - temporarily on hold to dedicate its resources to Covid-19. Similar measures will be taken to ramp up to 7,000 beds. However, hospitals will continue to treat non-Covid critical patients with serious health issues.