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The isolation centre at Mulund octroi naka that has been ready since May 20 (PIC: RAJU SHINDE)

No doctors to man 125-bed Covid care centre at Mulund

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Plan to expand another centre on hold too

With the number of Covid-19 cases starting to increase exponentially, the state government and BMC have been racing against time to set up isolation facilities - termed Covid care centres - for those who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms. However, a major bottleneck in opening these centres is a lack of doctors. A 125- bed isolation centre at the Mulund octroi naka has been ready since May 20 but is yet to open because there are no doctors to man it. The BMC has also been forced to shelve a plan to add 100 beds to another isolation centre - at Mithagar Municipal School, Mulund - because of a severe shortage of doctors.

Mihir Kotecha, BJP MLA from Mulund, said, “We need 10 more doctors for the facility at Mulund. Once we get them we will open the isolation centre. We are appealing to all doctors to please help the BMC in treating patients. These doctors will work in three shifts and will be given all the required protective equipment.”

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The centre at Mithaghar school was set up early last month. As the number of patients increased, so did the range of facilities. The centre now has 100 beds - of which 12 are ICU beds - oxygen cylinders, four dialysis machines and two ventilators; almost everything a hospital would have, save for an operation theatre. A BMC official said that since the centre is now full, the civic body wants to set up 100 more beds there. However, the shortage of doctors means it is unable to do so.

Once local trains start, hospitals can start to work at full capacitySenior member of state’s Covid-19 task force

Kishore Gandhi, assistant municipal commissioner, T Ward, said, “Our centre at Mithaghar Municipal School is almost full. If we get more doctors, we can increase capacity. We are looking for doctors and nurses. We also need at least eight doctors and 10 nurses to run the centre at the octroi naka. We appeal to all doctors to come forward.”

Meanwhile, a senior member of the state’s Covid-19 task force said that most hospitals were operating with just one-sixth of their employees, with many people unable to travel to work because of the lack of public transport, especially trains. “Most hospital workers live in the far suburbs. They can’t travel by bus and need local trains. Once local trains start, hospitals can start to work at full capacity. We have already told this to the state government,” the member said.

The state government has thus requested the railway board and railway ministry to restart local trains so that the BMC’s emergency workers, doctors, paramedics, police, and those who work at chemists and grocery stores can travel for work with minimal hassle.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has also requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to restart Mumbai’s local trains for those providing essential services. A statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office quoted him as saying: “The suburban railway services should be started and it should be only for the employees working in the essential sectors. They can be allowed to board locals after checking their identity cards.”

In photos: In and around Mumbai during lockdown

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The lockdown, induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, has severely affected the functioning of government and semi-government departments. Mumbai on May 14 saw the highest-ever single day rise of positive cases, with the city reporting 998 new patients. This takes the total tally to 16,579 in the city alone. Photo by Sachin Haralkar/MMCL
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The BMC said that 364 of the 998 new cases tested positive in private labs, but were recorded with the BMC. The civic body also informed that 4,234 patients have been discharged from city hospitals, with 443 of them being on Thursday.
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One of BMC's senior officers said that 33 new cases of the virus were found in Dharavi, which also reported two deaths. With this, the case tally in the colony rose to 1,061 with the death toll now at 49.
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The Mumbai Police have been in and around town, making sure that people follow social distancing norms. The state government has announced that the lockdown will continue till May 31 in Mumbai, Pune and other hotspots such as Solapur. Photo by Sachin Haralkar/MMCL
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The lockdown, although implemented to curb the outbreak, has led to many other issues. With migrants left stranded, many opted to return home on foot. While the government has organised special trains and buses for the daily wagers, the lack of transparency has got the workers running from pillar to post to just get a confirmation. Photo by Sachin Haralkar/MMCL
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As one migrant family says, "Nowadays, you have to pay so much for an auto or a truck in Mumbai." Targeting migrant workers and farmers, the government unveiled special measures amounting to over Rs 3 lakh crore. Photo by Sachin Haralkar/MMCL
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Mumbai has about 30,000 beds across its private and public hospitals which are capable of providing critical care. As the city enters its peak week, nearly 22,000 of these beds have now been marked for COVID-19 patients. Photo by Sachin Haralkar/MMCL
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The government is yet to make a decision as to whether to take over hospitals by issuing notices under the Disaster Management Act and the Epidemic Disease Act or work with private hospitals in spirit of collaboration and cooperation. The important decision will be taken in the next two days. Photo by Sachin Haralkar/MMCL