Mumbai: The 95 field hospitals that are being constructed across Maharashtra to create a parallel infrastructure for Covid-19 will take another couple of months to start functioning. This means if districts in the rest of the state start seeing a rise in cases now, they cannot bank on these upcoming facilities.
Though conceptualised almost 10 months ago, the hospitals coming up in seven administrative circles of Akola, Aurangabad, Nagpur, Nashik, Pune and Latur are still in different stages of construction and planning. The idea of Covid field hospitals was born after the second wave when health authorities realised that Covid could reappear in waves, and every time it did, the functioning of regular hospitals could be disrupted, affecting non-Covid patients.
A senior state official said around 25 of the 95 proposed are in the final stages of construction. “However, they would be ready to operate only after 40-60 days,” said the official, admitting these centres won’t be ready in time if districts see a surge in the coming weeks. Of the 95, 13 will be set up in the Mumbai circle, 15 in Akola circle, 17 in Aurangabad, 16 in Nashik circle, 17 in Latur, 10 in Pune and seven in Nagpur circle.
Sources have told TOI that facilities at Nashik and Mumbai circles may be the last to see completion. In Mumbai circle, a 100-bed hospital is planned in Panvel, 20-bed centre in Thane district’s Murbad town, and two 20-bed facilities each in Palghar district’s Vikramgad and Wada talukas. However, fresh rounds of tenders have been called for Mumbai and Nashik circles so these regions could see an additional delay. There are no field hospitals planned within Mumbai city as the corporation has already built jumbo centres.
A sum of Rs 193 crore has been sanctioned for the facilities that will come up within the premises of primary health centres, rural hospitals, sub-district and district hospitals. “Soon as all agencies are in place, work will be completed swiftly in Mumbai and Nashik circles too,” the state official said.