Maharashtra to set 35 field hospitals for Covid

The government of Maharashtra has decided to proceed with the plan to build 50 and 100 beds field hospitals for COVID cases. Rs 185 crore has been set aside for building 35 field hospitals in all districts.

According to the plan, twenty-one 50-bed hospitals and fourteen 100-bed hospitals will be built. The patients will be diverted to regular hospitals once the patient load crosses the maximum limit in these hospitals, reported The Times Of India.

The work on the field hospitals have begun and some structures should begin coming up by April, confirmed a state official. A few locations have been finalised in Nanded, Nashik. The government does not want this to disrupt routine non-COVID work in other hospitals if the cases go up in near future. The fund for the field hospitals will come from the Centre’s Covid-19 Emergency Response & Health Systems Preparedness Package-II.

The experts lauded the intent behind it, but said that the chances of a fourth wave are bleak. Dr. Om Srivastava, an infectious disease expert and member of the state COVID taskforce said that even if there is a new wave, it’s unlikely to be as severe as the first two waves. H1N1, Ebola and other previous outbreaks have shown that RNA viruses have a span of 2 to 2.5 years to cause a very lethal attack. The RNA viruses after the attack can circulate endemically.

The idea is to be prepared if cases surge said the state official.

Meanwhile, Mumbai reported only 225 COVID cases on Monday. Over 99 percent drop since the COVID peak on January 21. Only five people needed hospitalisation and once again zero deaths were reported. Times Now