KDMC readies hospitals as Covid-19 count climbs to 24

Pradeep Gupta | TNN | Updated: Apr 5, 2020, 05:34 IST

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KALYAN: As cases of coronavirus infection increase in Kalyan-Dombivli, the civic health department has decided to start swab collection here and send the samples to designated testing laboratories in Mumbai. In another move to save people the trip to Mumbai, the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) has converted the civic-run Shastri Nagar hospital into a Covid-19 hospital and has tied up with a private hospital, Neon, for treatment of patients.
On Saturday, three more patients, one from Dombivli (east) and two from Kalyan (west), were found positive, taking the number to 24.
As of now, KDMC sends patients to Kasturba hospital in Mumbai for testing and treatment. Now, the department is sending teams to Mumbai for training on swab collection and other processes.
Urban development and public works department minister Eknath Shinde, Thane collector, municipal commissioner Vijay Suryawanshi, MP Shrikant Shinde and health officials discussed the preparedness of the KDMC. It was decided that along with readying the Shastri Nagar hospital in Dombivli, there would be a tie-up with a private hospital, and extra isolation centres would be set up.
Shastri Nagar hospital has prepared 40 isolation beds, while Neon too has 40 beds. KDMC started eight clinics: two each in Dombivli (E) and Dombivli (W), and Kalyan (E) and Kalyan (W). Pradeep Gupta