Following the number of COVID-19 cases, across the world, spikes up to 96,000 on Thursday, the BMC decides to construct an exclusive, two-storey isolation centre on the premises of Kasturba hospital in Chinchpokli for the infected patients in the State.

Currently, the public-run hospital has the city’s only isolation ward for such patients, but with a limited capacity of only 20 beds. Seven suspected cases tested negative on Wednesday but any outbreak here will leave the hospital ill-equipped.

Reportedly, Rs 90 crore has been granted for the construction of a 150-bed isolation facility as well as a laboratory to test samples. So far, all samples of suspected cases are sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune.
The construction will begin in the first week of April.

It’s apparent that Kasturba centre will not come up as fast as 25,000-sqm Huoshenshan Hospital, one of two facilities China built in10 days last month.

Suresh Kakani, the additional municipal commissioner said the BMC has readied short and long-term plans in case of an outbreak of the virus. “Stopping its spread is our main priority.”

He further said in case the city reports an outbreak prior the exclusive centre is functional, an emergency protocol will kick in: patients from the hospital will be moved elsewhere and several wards will be turned into isolation for COVID-19 patients.

Kakani also said private hospitals like Jaslok, Saifee, Kokilaben and HN Reliance have also been asked to be on alert and to separate award for isolation.

Meanwhile, Municipal Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi said the Maharashtra Chamber of the housing industry has been asked to give a list of unsold flats that can be turned into temporary isolation wards in case of a virus outbreak. The Mumbai Port Hospital and the railway hospital have also been sounded out for help.