Fadnavis demands MVA govt to increase COVID-19 testing in Mumbai, cites 'positivity rate'

BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday, May 21 alleged that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government was making false claims about the level of COVID-19 testing in Maharashtra. He highlighted that Mumbai and Maharashtra had a positivity rate of 13.17% and 12.43% respectively as per the tests conducted till May 18, which was higher than the national average of 4.17%. According to him, the spread of COVID-19 was much more in Maharashtra in comparison to the rest of the country.

Noting that the positivity rate of Mumbai stands at around 22% if the repetitive tests of a single person are eliminated, he demanded the Uddhav Thackeray-led government to focus more on increasing the COVID-19 testing in Mumbai. For instance, he claimed that only 4,000-4,500 tests were being conducted in Mumbai despite having a capacity of 10,000 tests per day. Taking a further dig at the state government, he contended that the problem cannot be solved unless it is acknowledged. Currently, there are 39,297 confirmed novel coronavirus cases in Maharashtra out of which 24,118 are from Mumbai alone. 

Read: Ready Action Plan On Limited Resumption Of Film Shoots: Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray

Read: Maharashtra Minister Jayant Patil Takes Dig At Fadnavis For Seeking Maha Relief Package

BMC takes steps to strengthen the fight against COVID-19

Meanwhile, BMC Commissioner Iqbal Chahal directed civic officials to acquire at least 100 beds including 10 in ICUs of private nursing homes and small hospitals in all 24 wards of Mumbai. As per the BMC, this shall facilitate the availability of 2,400  more beds for COVID-19 patients. Chahal also asked the ward officers to file police complaints against polyclinics, nursing homes and private hospitals that had not opened.

He called for personal protective equipment kits to be provided to private hospitals and nursing homes. Additionally, the BMC has appointed IAS officers as in-charge of 3 big municipal hospitals in the city. Three IAS officers will now be managing the affairs of Sion Hospital, Nair Hospital, and KEM hospital. As per sources, the main objective of this move is to ensure the availability of beds, smooth availability of facilities, and efficient treatment of COVID-19. 

Earlier, Fadnavis requested the MVA government to create a dashboard for bed availability in Mumbai. Fadnavis stated that he had received multiple calls regarding people having to run from pillar to post as hospitals were not admitting them. He opined that such a dashboard should be publicly accessible so that individuals can get accurate information pertaining to treatment based on the availability of beds. 

Read: 'Mumbai Covid Cases Will Decline In 15 To 20 Days,' Says Maharashtra Health Minister Tope