BMC hospitals resume elective surgeries

Staff seen at the OPD of Nair Hospital, which is being used for the vaccination drive. Pic/Suresh Karkera

With Covid-19 cases showing a declining trend in the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to start elective surgeries in all the corporation-run hospitals.

"We have asked all BMC-run hospitals to resume planned surgeries. There has been a drop in the number of cases over the last month due to which beds were lying vacant at these hospitals. These can now be used for non-Covid patients," said Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner, BMC.

He said the outdoor patient department (OPD) services have also been functional for the last one week. "The re-activation of all the non-Covid facilities in BMC-run hospitals will ensure that non-Covid patients are not affected," he said.

Suresh Kakani

On April 7, the city had 81,886 active Covid-19 cases. The total active cases on July 9 was 7,731. As on Saturday, the city had 1,309 ventilator beds, of which 610 are available. The city also has 9,292 oxygen beds, of which 1,315 are currently available, and 23,270 Covid-19 beds, out of which 19,411 are available.

The hospitals, however, will be dealing with a huge back-log of elective surgeries, as many of them were postponed due to the second wave and lockdown.

Dr Hemant Deshmukh, dean, KEM Hospital, said, "Since there is a drop in the number of Covid-19 patients at the hospital, we have resumed 50 per cent of the routine work. As of now, 500 non-Covid patients receiving treatment from us."

At present, the hospital has 35 beds for Covid, occupied by only 16 patients. Dr Deshmukh said if the need arises, they will add more beds.