BMC decides to modify Mumbai's Jaslok hospital into fully dedicated COVID-19 facility

Mumbai: The coronavirus has been taking a great toll on the financial capital of India. The city is facing record-breaking COVID cases and thus the Brihan Mumbai Corporation has decided to convert the Jaslok Hospital into a dedicated facility only for COVID-19 patients in the wake of a huge spike in cases of viral infection in the city.

According to a circular issued by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday (April 14), the Jaslok Hospital will no longer admit non-COVID-19 patients and instructions to this effect have been issued to the hospital's management. 

It is the first prominent private hospital to be declared as a dedicated COVID-19 facility in the city since the second wave of the coronavirus here, BMC sources said.

The civic body has directed the hospital to discharge all stable patients, admitted in its non-COVID-19 wards, who do not require tertiary care.

The hospital has also been asked to transfer the non-COVID-19 patients requiring tertiary care to nearby facilities within 48 hours.

"All patients admitted for elective surgeries to be discharged by postponing the elective surgeries," reads the BMC's order. 

According to the BMC, the hospital was treating COVID-19 patients with advanced critical care since the outbreak of the pandemic last year.

On Wednesday (April 14), Mumbai recorded 9,925 new COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to 5,44,942, while 54 more patients succumbed to the infection, according to the civic body.

The BMC said, at present, some 4/5 star hotels have shown a willingness to set up step down facilities in linkages with major private hospitals.

Accordingly, the Bombay Hospital has been linked with the Inter-continental hotel and H.N. Reliance foundation hospital has been linked with the Trident hotel at Bandra-Kurla Complex. 

(with inputs from PTI)