Mumbai to get 500 additional ICU beds in a week
The minister also suggested a limited resumption of suburban train services for people who are allowed to go to offices in the current lockdown period (Representational Image)
Maharashtra public health minister Rajesh Tope on Thursday said 500 additional ICU beds will be made available within a week’s time in Mumbai, which accounts for more than half of the state’s coronavirus cases.
Mumbai, by far the worst-affected city in the country, has reported over 54,000 COVID-19 cases to date. Of them, 24,209 are still active. The death toll in the maximum city has reached 1,954 so far.
The additional beds will help in aiding patients suffering from breathlessness.
“There will be an additional 500 beds for ICU patients in one week for Mumbai city alone. The measure would help in addressing patients suffering from breathlessness,” Tope told reporters on Thursday.
“The recovery rate of patients in Mumbai is now 50 percent. The number of patients testing positive for COVID-19 in Dharavi (once a hotspot) has also come down significantly,” the minister said.
Tope stressed on his demand for changing the definition of containment zones, including slashing the period from 28 days now to 14 after the detection of last COVID-19 patient while making demarcation of such areas.
This will also offer some relief to police officials who are on duty in such areas, the minister said.
He also suggested a limited resumption of suburban train services.
“It is imperative to run some dedicated local trains in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) for people who are allowed to go to offices in the current lockdown period,” Tope said.
