Maharashtra's Dharavi slowly returning to life after Covid-19 outbreak

In what could be considered as a healthy sign, two isolation centres in the vast slum cluster of Dharavi in Mumbai have been shut as Covid-19 pandemic cases have come down considerably.

Once a hotspot of the deadly viral pandemic, Dharavi is embracing 'the new normal' and now is a success story of Covid-19 combat strategy.

Dharavi falls under the G/North ward of the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The two isolation centres that have been shut are Dharavi Municipal School and Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complex.

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"Yes, we have decided to close two isolation facilities as cases have come down," Kiran Digavkar, the assistant municipal commissioner of G/North ward told DH on Friday.

The Dharavi Municipal School had 700 beds while Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complex had 300 beds.

"We had a total bed capacity of 3,800 across various isolation centres. Now we have reduced 1,000 as cases have come down," he said.

The first Covid-19 positive case and death from Dharavi was reported on April 1 when a 56-year-old man died.

As on June 2, the total progressive cases stand at 2,301 and 82 deaths. As of now, the total progressive cases stand at 551.

Throughout April and the first fortnight of May, the cases zoomed but then it was brought down.

The Dharavi model of fighting Covid-19 is being replicated in Mumbai's suburbs of Malad, Kandivli, Borivali and Dahisar on the Western line and Mulund and Bhandup on the Central line.

"We adopted the Chase-the-Virus strategy rather than the patient coming to us," he said, adding that the concept of 4 Ts - Tracing, Tracking,Testing and Treating has worked and showed results.

As part of the strategy, several fever clinics were opened and people were checked.

As part of the war against the virus, Chase the Virus was launched to break the cycle. Against every patient and 15 close contacts were quarantined. The frontline caregivers were also given medicines.

A new institutional quarantine facility was also opened.

Senior citizen patients were shifted to the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital at Sion and the King Edward Memorial Hospital at Parel.

A senior official of the Maharashtra Medical Council also noted that a very large migrant population has moved out from Dharavi. "That ensured physical distancing. The CRPF was also deployed along with local police stations," the official said.

Dharavi has a population of nearly seven to 10 lakh, staying and working in 2.1 sq km.