After the civic body came in for flak for an insufficient number of functioning ventilators in intensive care units of civic run hospitals, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is now purchasing 188 ventilators. This, along with existing ventilators, will be linked to a helpline so that the availability of ventilators and beds in intensive care units is available at the click of a finger.

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The BMC runs three super specialty hospitals offering tertiary care and 18 peripheral hospitals offering secondary level care. There are currently 450 ventilators in all the civic hospitals put together. However, not all ventilators are in working condition. This makes it difficult for the hospitals to give life support system to patients at crucial stages. In the past, the civic health department has faced a lot of criticism for failing to provide ventilators to patients and for the defective ventilators.

In a first, the BMC is also planning to set up a helpline with the help of an NGO which will keep a record of these ventilators and available beds in civic hospitals. This data will be collated and will be available in the casualty department of all civic run hospitals.

The civic body is not only strengthening its health care system, but is also in the process of carrying out recruitments for a total of 800 posts in civic hospitals at different levels, including post graduate doctors. Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta has also asked the health department to contact senior private consultants in the city who are ready to offer their services in civic hospitals. Civic hospitals treats 1.2 crore patients annually, even as the capacity of these hospitals is to treat 70 lakh patients.