BMC to add 250 ICU beds as COVID-19 cases surge in Mumbai

In the wake of a spike in COVID-19 cases in Mumbai, the civic body will be adding 250 ICU beds in its hospitals and other facilities in the next three days, an official said on Monday.

The official of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said these 250 ICU beds will be added to ensure that at least 350 beds remain vacant all the time to deal with any sudden surge in number of patients.

He said around 4,800 beds are lying vacant under DCH/ DCHC facilities and another 6,200 COVID-19 beds are available in jumbo field hospitals set up in the metropolis.

"The availability of beds for symptomatic patients in Mumbai will not be an issue at all even if the number of positive cases on an average goes beyond 2,000 everyday," said the official.

Mumbai has witnessed a surge in COVID-19 cases since last week and recorded the highest single-day spike of 1,929 infections on September 4.

The top BMC official said the spike in COVID-19 cases in the city was due to increased testing.

In May and June, the BMC was conducting around 4,000 tests everyday which went up to 6,500 in July and around 7,620 in August 2020.

According to the BMC, now it has been conducting 9,000 to 10,000 COVID-19 tests, excluding rapid tests, since the start of September.

A total of 11,861 tests were conducted on Sunday, the civic body said.