Corporation staff will inspect private hospitals from January 11 to check if the number of Covid beds has been restored to its peak level. (Express file photo by Deepak Joshi) With coronavirus infections exceeding 15,000 on Wednesday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has asked all private hospitals to restore Covid bed numbers to the peak-level that they had during the second wave of the pandemic.
Municipal Commissioner I S Chahal wrote to private hospitals that since 10-12 per cent patients were symptomatic every day, more hospital beds would be required in the days to come. With over 95% cases being detected in non-slum areas, there would be higher demand for private hospital beds because such patients are reluctant to go to corporation-run hospitals, he wrote.
“We are planning for a worst-case scenario, though there is not much demand for beds today,’’ Municipal Commissioner I S Chahal told The Indian Express.
Formal directives to scale up bed numbers by January 10 will be issued to all 142 private hospitals in the city today, Chahal wrote. Corporation staff will inspect private hospitals from January 11 to check if the number of Covid beds has been restored to its peak level. Though infections could rise substantially in the next five-seven days, the third wave is unlikely to last beyond four-five weeks, Chahal wrote citing “the South African experience”.
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