Mumbai: Residents of Borivli complex protest Covid-19 clinic in building

MUMBAI: Residents of a Borivli housing complex were alarmed to find that a cardiac clinic and nursing home in one of their buildings has been granted permission to treat Covid-19 patients. They learned of the Covid centre recently after one of them spotted a body wrapped in plastic being transported out in an ambulance .
On Friday, 50 residents of Lancelot CHS protested outside Arihant Heart Clinic and Nursing home to express concern over the safety of 450 people living on the premises. They also took to Twitter to air their worries and tagged chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, MP Gopal Shetty and state health minister Rajesh Tope.
Dr Parag Ajmera, director, Arihant Heart Clinic, though, assured residents that all necessary permissions were in place and care was being taken to ensure their safety. The clinic is housed in the ground and first floors of one of the three six-storey wings in the complex. Bharat Baug Chawl, which has 200 residents, is in the complex too.
While the BMC had granted permission to the nursing home on June 1, residents said they became aware of it only a week later, on the night of June 5, after a flat owner took a video of a body wrapped in plastic being put in an ambulance. On June 11, a letter signed by 10 members was sent to the BMC, requesting it to "review the safety of residents" and cancel the permission.
A resident said their main concern was just like other medical facilities in the complex, the staff and patients of Arihant Heart Clinic, too, used the common entry and exit gates. "The nursing home staff and patients also use the common lobby of the wing, the lift and the staircase used by residents. There is a strong possibility of residents getting infected because of this proximity," said one, adding ambulances and patient vehicles also enter and exit the premises. He said the clinic had not taken an NOC from them before seeking the BMC's permission.
"We understand it is a pandemic and we have utmost compassion for Covid-19 patients, but with the nursing home's presence, there is a high risk of transmission of the virus among the residents who include infants, children and senior citizens," he said.
Dr Ajmera, though, said, "We have been regularly sanitizing the hospital area and also have a separate entrance. The BMC has given us an authorization letter to admit Covid patients and they also mentioned an NOC is not required in a pandemic of this scale. I have shared the letter with the society members. There is fear among residents." The doctor added the only way to deal with this problem was to shut the nursing home and risk patient deaths. "Of the 10 patients that we get, three or four are likely to be Covid-positive. How are we supposed to refuse patients? Even today, I have received calls from eight patients who are being rejected elsewhere." He said 60-70% of nursing homes on the stretch are in housing societies and share common entrances and quite a few of these are being converted into Covid facilities.
The hospital has around 30 beds, of which 10 are isolated for Covid patients. Lastly, he said, many people were contracting the infection from the community, not because they live near a hospital. "Five of my staffers tested positive. We have taken utmost care. Not a single society member has tested positive so far."
Bhagyashri Kapse, assistant municipal commissioner, R-South Ward, said housing societies cannot refuse permission to any facility during a pandemic. "Our ward does not have a single big hospital -private or civic. We have 128 nursing homes and not many treat Covid patients. In such a scenario, if a private facility is willing to convert its beds for Covid care, it is a good solution. This, despite the fact that the BMC allots 80% of beds through ward-level war rooms and has put pricing curbs. Going forward, many nursing homes may want to convert beds for Covid patients."