Field Hospitals Evacuated, Upgrade Likely Before Covid Patients Return

Mumbai: The three Jumbo centres or field hospitals at Dahisar, Mulund and BandraKurla Complex (BKC), that have helped the city tide over the second Covid wave, will stay shut for the next 10-15 days as they are taken up for repairs and upgrades. It will render over 4,000 beds out of circulation. More than 600 patients were moved out of the facilities over the weekend and shifted to eight hospitals ahead of the cyclone.

- Sumitra Deb Roy & Chaitanya Marpakwar, Vijay Singh

BMC officials said there was no serious damage to the facilities due to the storm. These makeshift structures have been operating since the past 10-12 months and a need for refurbishment was in discussion. Additional municipal commissioner (health) Suresh Kakani said since patients have been moved out because of the cyclone, they would utilise the opportunity to prepare for the third wave.

“There won’t be any bed shortage. We have adequate beds available now,” Kakani said. The BKC jumbo, India’s first field hospital, has been operating since May 25 while the Dahisar one started on July 27 and Mulund got its first patient on July 16 last year. Together, they have catered to over 30,000-35,000 patients.