Mumbai, September 15: Amid a sudden increase in active coronavirus cases, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation or BMC has asked private hospitals in Mumbai not to admit non-Mumbaikars, adding that they should be sent to jumbo COVID-19 care centres, Times of India reported on Tuesday. Besides, the BMC has also asked private hospitals in Mumbai to urgently discharge all asymptomatic positive patients if they are clinically stable. Maharashtra Takes Control of 80% of Private Hospital Beds Amid Coronavirus Crisis, Fixes Rates For Various Treatments.

"It is requested that outstation patients may be diverted and asked to go to jumbo field hospitals for treatment and not be allotted Covid beds in private hospitals so as to ensure that the local citizens of Mumbai do not suffer due to non-availability of beds," BMC chief Iqbal Singh Chahal conveyed to private hospitals in Mumbai. The municipal commissioner said the allotment of 80% beds in private hospitals that are under BMC's control should happen through the ward war rooms. Maharashtra Reports 17,066 New COVID-19 Cases, 257 Deaths.

Chahal added that the civic body will ensure people from outside Mumbai find a bed in the jumbo COVID-19 care centres. Two jumbo COVID-19 hospitals have been constructed on an urgent basis in Mumbai's Bandra-Kurla Complex area. "The BMC communication essentially is to only admit patients who need DCH (Dedicated COVID-19 Hospital) level of care in major hospitals and refer others to jumbos," Joy Chakraborty, COO of Hinduja Hospital, said.

Yesterday, the death toll due to coronavirus in Mumbai increased from 8,150 to 8.181 and the number of corona cases shot up by 2,269 to jump from 169,741 to 172,010. Mumbai Metropolitan Region, comprising Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad, remains on the brink as deaths spiral and cases pile up, with the fatalities shooting up by 73 to 14,130 and with another spike of 5,280 new infectees, the total cases surged to 4,04,218.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 15, 2020 04:29 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).