Govt plans isolation wards, labs at pvt hospitals in Mumbai

The Maharashtra government plans to set up isolation wards and coronavirus testing facilities at private hospitals in Mumbai to deal with the outbreak of the deadly virus in the state, an official said on Wednesday.

Representatives of private hospitals in Mumbai met Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Health Minister Rajesh Tope and senior ministers to discuss the rising number of coronavirus cases in the state.

"The state government has decided to work on a couple of fronts, including setting up isolation wards and private testing facilities at Mumbai-based hospitals and seeking accreditation from the Centre for the same," a senior official, who was present at the meeting, said.

The state government also plans to improve screening facilities at international airports, especially in Mumbai, he said, adding that doctors and nurses will be trained about standard treatment procedures to keep patients safe from other infections.

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"Setting up a testing facility is crucial, as it will reduce the burden on Pune-based National Institute of Virology. The state plans to seek accreditation from the Centre to conduct coronavirus determination tests," he said.

When asked about screening facilities at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, he said, "The present screening facility needs to be modernised. We need to deploy more staff and the overall procedure requires some fine-tuning."

Staff of private hospitals will also be trained to follow guidelines for coronavirus infection and its treatment, he said.

Representatives from Mumbai's top hospitals, including Jaslok, Leelavati, Nanavati and Hinduja, were present at the meeting, he added.

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