Mumbai is on the edge of an unmatched public health emergency crisis. Both public and private hospitals in the city are flooded with large numbers of COVID-19 patients. Also, the ICU care facilities of nearly all hospitals are exhausted and a shortage of approximately 400 doctors and healthcare professionals has made the situation alarmingly serious.

Regardless of lockdown, Mumbai is seeing 400 cases daily on an average. The city’s medical organization is finding it difficult to fulfill their needs and forcing few of them to wait on roads overnight before the management makes any arrangements.

ET has received details from both private and public hospitals showing that the city, that has a population of around 2 crore, is running out of ordinary beds, ICU beds and also doctors to treat COVID-19 and other patients. Till 1st May, in BMC-run RN Cooper Hospital which is located in Mumbai’s suburbs, had 11 beds for coronavirus patients; at KEM Hospital in Parel, there are only 6 beds and at Kasturba hospital, there are also just 12 beds.

The situation is similar in private hospitals too. PD Hinduja Hospital had 42 beds reserved for coronavirus patients but all are occupied. Wockhardt Hospital has only one bed for COVID-19 patient; Lilavati Hospital in Bandra also has only one bed. Sushrusha hospital in Vikhroli has 73 beds and Seven Hills Reliance has 42 beds available for coronavirus patients.

The situation is very dreadful as people with non-COVID-19 ailments are struggling to get admitted in the hospitals. Also, for coronavirus patients, the situation has become worse.

A 45-year-old woman from Govandi wasn’t shifted for 3 days in spite of her being symptomatic. A 63 year old woman had to spend a whole night on the road near her own building because no beds were available. Finally, she was taken to Seven Hills Hospital, Andheri.

The city has almost exhausted their ICU facilities in both public and private hospitals. The BMC and the Maharashtra government are making space for more beds. But the officials said that they don’t have sufficient medical staffs, doctors, nurses for the increasing number of new patients.

Source: ET Bureau