Hit extensively by the ongoing pandemic, Mumbai took various measures in its fight against coronavirus, some of which have proven to become blueprints to follow in the rest of the nation. By Bayar Jain
Until a few weeks ago, headlines from Mumbai would come replete with COVID-19 positive cases. Today, the Maximum City has garnered praise for successfully tackling the second wave and has even chalked out a Mumbai Model good enough to be followed in other states.
Oxygen Regulation
Speaking to Hindustan Times about the ‘Mumbai Model’—as it is increasingly being referred—additional municipal commissioner Suresh Kakani states that Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) forethought the importance of oxygen in the first wave itself, and thus upgraded the facilities with Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) tanks. In doing so, relying on a cylinder-based model decreased immensely; a problem that is rampant throughout the nation currently.
Decentralisation
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According to The Economist, a large share of the triumph can be credited to the city’s decentralised administrative structure and data-driven planning. War rooms, divided ward-wise, were quickly set up in the state capital allowing each space to function as solitary units. With this, a group of doctors, teachers, and social workers not only operate dedicated all-day helplines, but also enabled hospitals (private and government-run, both) to update dashboards efficiently. This allows patients to easily avail information in times of need, without having to scurry around the city helplessly.
Preemptive Steps
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During the first wave itself, authorities in Mumbai built jumbo hospitals capable of housing hundreds of patients at a time, reports Al Jazeera. This, media reports, was accompanied by procuring Remdesivir, the antiviral drug, at 300 per cent of its cost. Moreover, over time, three more field hospitals were set up complete with oxygen generation plants. While seen as wasteful expenditures at the time, doing so gave the city headway to prepare for the next wave instead of worrying about it at the time of crises.
Mumbai Model Elsewhere
Seeing the Mumbai Model as a sure-shot way of tackling the raging pandemic, Karnataka’s Bengaluru has decided to imbibe the same, reports The Print. For this, ward-wise committees will be set up, and oxygen and hospital updates will be made available at the micro level.
Editor’s Note: Keeping the current situation of the pandemic in mind, T+L India recommends every reader to stay safe, and take all government-regulated precautions in case travel at this time is absolutely necessary. Please follow our stories on #IndiaFightsCorona for all the latest travel guidelines.
Related: #IndiaFightsCorona: This Is India’s 1st Religious Place To Turn Into A Vaccination Centre
