The COVID-Monsoon season and Your Safety

On 30th June 2020 keeping in mind the onset of monsoon in the current challenging time of COVID-19, a highly infectious disease, V Citizens Action Network (VCAN), organised its first fully digital version of the Social Sanchar to enable citizens to interact with Mumbai’s Additional Municipal Commissioner, Shri Suresh Kakani, IAS, on the pertinent topic of “COVID-Monsoon season and Your Safety”.

The session was broadcast live on Facebook and Twitter, and was joined by viewers across the city.

The primary focus of the session was on the precautions in the time of COVID along with the challenges faced during monsoons by individuals and communities. It aimed to provide a direct citizens interaction with Shri. Suresh Kakani, Addl. Municipal Commissioner of Mumbai to enable much needed clarity on many issues related to the current pandemic situation in Mumbai and addresses citizens’ concerns, directly.

The Social Sanchar began with the welcome address by Smt. Indrani Malkani, Chairman VCAN. She gave a brief introduction about VCAN and the highly infectious COVID-19 disease as an issue.

Smt. Malkani expressed her appreciative thanks towards VCAN’s Health and Wellness partner, Healthspring, VCAN’s website technology partner Teknowlegion and VCAN’s digital marketing and video technology partner April Broadcast, as well as colleagues and networking partners and friends in the media.

She then invited her fellow trustee Shri. V. Ranganathan, to introduce Shri. Suresh Kakani and also to highlight a few crucial points for discussion.

Shri Kakani was the Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Maharashtra Airport Development, and the Chairman and Managing Director of MIHAN India Ltd. before being appointed to the current role of Additional Municipal Commissioner (Western Suburbs). He administers the Health, Disaster Management, and Fire departments, and Online Complaint Management System, among other administrative responsibilities. Shri Kakani is the recipient of many awards, including the Shwaccha Bharata Award, the Digital India National Award, and the Rajiv Gandhi Administrative Excellence Award for the Best Office in Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

To view a brief profile of Shri. Suresh Kakani click here

Smt. Malkani then invited Shri. Kakani to make his opening remarks and share some critical points related to the facilities available and various initiatives undertaken by the MCGM. Shri Kakani gave a concise brief about the ongoing COVID-19 situation, testing facilities, COVID centers, issues related to private hospitals, about the ward wise COVID Control rooms in Mumbai and the preparations underway for the Monsoon season. He also gave a brief overview of updates in Mumbai and the MMR (Mumbai Metropolitan Region).

Shri Kakani assured the participants that MCGM was equipped to deal with the COVID-19 crisis, and that the situation had improved. It has been 4 months since the first COVID-19 case was detected in Mumbai, and although there is a rise in cases, the death rate remains low and the discharge rate is high. To ensure safety, healthcare volunteers remain in touch with discharged patients.

Facilities to deal with COVID-19 are being improved upon every day. The capacity to house patients has increased, with 140 hospitals in Mumbai being earmarked for patients, a bedding capacity of 80,000 beds of which 1500 are ICU and ventilator beds. The improved infrastructure has been built while anticipating any future surges, and will continue on this path with facilities and capacities being updated regularly. On realising that oxygen facilities were of greater importance than ICU and ventilator facilities, more than 8,000 beds have been equipped with these. The BMC has also efficiently built several jumbo facilities across the city, including ones in NSCI Worli, BKC, Goregaon, Dahisar, and Mulund. These Jumbo facilities have been made in the minimum possible time, in fact the facility in BKC, though temporary structure, was built in just 15 days, housing 1000 beds out of which 508 are oxygen supply equipped.

The intention is to ensure that maximum resources are available in case of a surge in cases not only for Mumbai but also for the MMR area patients.

Testing has also vastly improved in Mumbai. While at the start of the crisis there was only the Kasturbha Lab with limited capability to test 60-70 samples per day, but now the capacity for testing capacity has increased across the city and can now ensure that there are around 10,000 tests conducted per day by 25 labs.

Testing officials in the Wards are working 24/7 to ensure that the tests results are given speedily and to prevent fallout from delayed test results.

The ward wise COVID Control rooms in Mumbai, which works 24/7 has ensured greater efficiency to deal with the patients.

Every morning, from 8 am onwards, ward officials show lists of patient names to ensure that within 2-3 hours authorities can reach every patient on the list and isolate or treat them appropriately. It is to be noted, there have been no recent complaints on social media concerning the access of COVID positive patients to hospital beds and treatment. This approach was successful in Dharavi, where despite the dense population, patients were isolated speedily thus preventing the spread of infection. While there have been many successes, Shri. Kakani warned against getting overconfident and reminded all, that the virus is still an unknown force and abnormal, hence an unpredictable. The situation can take a turn at any point.

With regards to Monsoon related activity, despite the pandemic, the BMC has taken steps to ensure safety during the Monsoon season. Vector Control teams have been activated to locate mosquito breeding grounds to prevent the spread of diseases like Malaria and Dengue. Fogging of areas has also taken place and on-going, especially in slum areas where lack of ventilation requires that safe fogging is carried to prevent the spread of monsoon diseases.

Smt. Malkani then requested Shri. Kakani to address some questions, which were asked by way of an SMS or on WhatsApp, Twitter, and live on Facebook. Smt. Malkani stated that the questions being taken up would be of generic nature so that issues could be addressed by Shri Kakani.

Common issues that were raised by way of questions are as under:

BMC Circulars and Notifications – only being available in Marathi and not available in English, nor available in any ONE place hence giving rise to confusion, non-compliance and even fake news!

Responsibilities of Cooperative Housing Societies – Domestic workers and drivers being allowed in Societies. In the absence of “specific” guideline issued, some Societies are not allowing, and therefore some “Federations” are issuing “threatening” letters.

Further, how to ensure people coming from containment areas are not allowed inside buildings, as well as what are the guidelines for labourers working in buildings.

Is it advisable and are Housing societies required to buy PPE for technicians working in buildings? What is the disposal process for such PPEs being used in Societies where there are no COVID Cases?

With respect to the existence of Hospitals in Residential Societies – causing concern and fear over procedures and safety – most have common entrances/gates/lifts, some have more than one Hospital on the same floor.

Also understanding the policy for private hospitals accepting patients with emergencies.

Understanding the Quarantine/Testing procedures – 14 days starts when? Do Overseas travellers arriving in Mumbai with onward connection, also have to be detained in Mumbai? Can anyone be tested – without Doctor’s prescription? Should the deceased be tested for COVID-19?

Considering Monsoon has already started question were raised on how BMC is preparing for monsoon related diseases.

To know all the questions raised to Shri Kakani and his answers, please see the video, the Q&A starts at 27 minutes.

At the end of the exhaustive question-answer session, Smt. Malkani and Shri. Ranganathan thanked Shri. Kakani for his clear and informative responses. Questions that could not be answered due to time constraints will be sent to Shri. Kakani’s office and the answers will be published on VCAN’s web portal.

Smt. Malkani then ended the program by presenting Shri. Kakani with an online memento on behalf of VCAN and thanked all the VCAN trustees and all those associated with the special online Social Sanchar session.

To view the video of the event, click here

To view the press coverage by the Mid-Day, click here

To view the PPT of MCGM for information, click here