To decongest the major municipal hospitals in the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has ordered all stable patients who do not require tertiary care to be discharged immediately to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The step will also help preserve the resources for future contingencies.
BMC Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi said stable patients who require tertiary care will be moved to peripheral hospitals within 5 km of their residence. Outpatient departments (OPDs) looking after diabetes, asthma, hypertension, thyroid, haematology and geriatric patients will be shut till further notice. Patients have been directed to approach the nearest dispensary or peripheral hospital in their area.
OPDs of broad speciality will be restricted to 100 patients daily and those screening patients with cough, fever and cold will run round the clock to minimise inflow in casualty wards. Staff at OPDs will direct patients with symptoms of COVID-19, their contacts and people with travel history to affected countries to Kasturba Hospital, which has been dedicated to treat infectious diseases.
Appointments for routine and elective surgeries will be deferred for two to three weeks and patients with such appointments in the broad surgical speciality wards will be discharged. No floor beds or sharing of beds will be allowed and one-metre distance will be maintained between beds. Mr. Pardeshi has ordered all hospitals to conduct small-scale blood donation camps to create ample reserves for future exigencies. Doctors and paramedics screening patients at OPDs and casualty wards will have to wear protective gear.
KEM, Sion and Nair hospitals are the three major municipal hospitals in the city.
