Open spaces can be used against vector-borne diseases, suggests Mumbai Mayor

When the monsoon hits Mumbai in the first week of June, the maximum city which is battling to contain the coronavirus pandemic will have to brace itself to face another major challenge -- the surge in vector-borne diseases. In bid to prep for this additional challenge, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has begun to ramp up bed capacity at public and private hospitals.

On Tuesday, Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar along with Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant and a few corporators and Assistant Municipal Commissioner of F (South) ward Swapnaja Kshirsagar inspected four open spaces/grounds and vacant premises in CottonGreen and Sewri. These are places which civic body is considering to turn into facilities that can be used to accommodate people suffering from vector-borne diseases like dengue, malaria, cholera, typhoid, gastroenteritis and Leptospirosis if future if numbers of cases spike during monsoon.

"We inspected four places which we inspected on Tuesday, include two Bombay Port Trust owned grounds in Sewri, a space ar Colgate company and closed premises of Imax cinema. These places are away from residential areas can be turned into facilities to accommodate covid or non-covid patients, people suffering from vector-borne disease etc. We have inspected the place and given out suggestions to the BMC," said Arvind Sawant.

Meanwhile, BMC is already upscaling beds in existing hospitals for people who might contract the vector-borne disease during monsoon. “The upscaling of beds that is going on right now will also be used for patients with monsoon-related diseases. This, will help hospitals absorb patients with vector-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria, cholera, typhoid and gastroenteritis etc," " said Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner (health)

Pednekar also suggested that civic body should also identify large spaces to be used as community kitchens that would be needed if the number of coronavirus cases surge in the coming days. "We are yet to decide how and when these places will be converted into facilities to accommodate patients or it can be used as a community kitchen. The inspection was done to ensure that there are big spaces available and can be used for covid or not covid purposes. We have shared out views with the officials," added Pednekar.