Coronavirus: Maharashtra runs out of ICU beds, to take over private, military hospitals

Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service
Mumbai, May 8

The Maharashtra government has asked to take over private and military hospitals after state-run hospitals in cities like Mumbai and Pune run out of beds in Intensive Care Units for COVID-19 patients.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in a statement here on Wednesday said the state government has asked the Indian Army, Navy, ports, the railways and other central organisations in the state to provide beds in ICUs for COVID-19 patients. In Mumbai, local ward officers have been given powers to take over private hospitals and nursing homes to put up ICU beds.

More than 25,000 doctors who operate as private practitioners in Mumbai have also been asked to sign up to treat patients affected by COVID-19 or risk having their licenses cancelled.

“The number of patients testing positive for the virus has increased as we have increased the number of tests. The number of patients who are being cured of the disease has also gone up,” Thackeray said in his statement.

The chief minister said the central government expects the number of patients to rise in May and hence the state government wanted to be ready with as many ICU beds as it can for COVID-19 patients.

He added that the state government has already set up huge facilities for treating patients affected by the pandemic at Nehru Science Centre, Mahalaxmi Race Course, Nehru Planetarium, the Bombay Exhibition Centre, the MMRDA grounds at Bandra-Kurla Complex and other places.

However, the number of patients is likely to increase as people are likely to return to Maharashtra from other parts of the country and abroad, Thackeray said.