Maharashtra manages to bring down Covid-19 cases, gives Mumbai model

Fifteen months into the Covid-19 pandemic, Maharashtra continues to be the worst-affected state in terms of numbers, however, the combat strategies during the height of the second wave seem to be working thanks to the Mumbai model that is earning a distinction.

As of now, Maharashtra is reporting average daily cases between 55,000 to 60,000 and an average of 600 to 700 deaths per day – as against the peak of 67,160 cases on April 24 and 985 deaths on April 28.

Last week when Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, he lauded the way the state is attempting to flatten the curve.

The PM’s words of praise come at a time when the state BJP does not leave any opportunity to target the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

Also read: Fresh Covid-19 cases drop in Mumbai and Maharashtra

During a year’s time, the state has upgraded infrastructure significantly and put several things on the autopilot mode in Covid hotspots like Mumbai and the larger Mumbai metropolitan region (MMR) and urban centres like Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, Amravati and Aurangabad – which accounts for the lion’s share of the cases in the state.

In March 2020, when the pandemic broke out, the state had two Covid-19 tests labs – Kasturba Hospital in Mumbai and National Institute of Virology in Pune, however, now the state has 609 testing labs.

Between June, 2020-April, 2021, the numbers of Covid centres have increased from 2,665 to 5,595 while the bed strength rose from 3,36,384 to 4,31,902.

The numbers of oxygen beds have increased from 42,813 to 86,908, while ICU beds have increased from 11,882 to 28,937. Besides, the ventilators have increased from 3,788 to 11,713.

Also read: Mumbai seeks to import millions of vaccines to avert Covid-19 wave

The oxygen producing capacity in the state is 1,270 MT, while the current use is around 1,615 MT. The state’s quota decided by the Centre is 1,784 MT.

“When people ask what we have done over the past year when the first wave hit us… we can say that we have upgraded the infrastructure, a process that is still continuing…we have already started planning for the third wave, which may affect the kids and forming a group of paediatricians... it would be task force,” Thackeray said.

Maharashtra leaders have managed to flag several issues like shortage of vaccines and drugs like Remdesivir and Tocilizumab and oxygen – forcing the Centre to take a series of decisions.

Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis, however, is unhappy over the Covid-19 handling – and alleged that the recent decline in the case is because of fudging figures.

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“PR agencies and celebrities were being used to plant a false narrative and the numbers in Mumbai has come down as there are lesser tests,” he said,

It is also exactly a year since senior IAS officer Iqbal Singh Chahal took over as Mumbai’s Municipal Commissioner. “The BMC decided to decentralize the operations and we now have war rooms in all the 24 wards with 10 dashboards each,” said Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar.

There are areas of concern as well. “The cases are almost similar for 10 days, but what is concerning is the number of deaths per day…it is not a good sign,” said Dr Suhas Pingle, President-elect of IMA-Maharashtra.

“Besides, what had happened after the first wave, we lowered our guard and removed the masks…let that not happen this time,” he said, adding that Covid-appropriate behaviour in the new normal is the must.