How Mumbai took on the virus

Context:  A case study on how Mumbai took on the virus.

Way to deal with a Pandemic like COVID-19: Study from decentralized efforts in Mumbai.

• Work on the four pillars: Testing, Ambulances, Health infrastructure and Doctors/paramedics.

• Improve Health Infrastructure: Massive increase in COVID-19 beds and ventilators in Mumbai

• Plasma banks were created in major hospitals, and the drug protocol was standardized.

• Testing: 

• Quick results: In Mumbai, test results within 24 hours was mandated.

• Door-to-door surveillance: and focused testing

• Increase number of tests: More than a million RT-PCR tests were conducted in the Mumbai city.

• Increase number of Ambulances: there was a ten-fold increase in the number of ambulances.

• Effective use of Doctors/Paramedics: including the retired ones and MBBS interns were deployed.

• Effective Government policies: 

• Chase the Virus Policy: To shift high-risk contact from slums to institutional quarantines
• Decentralized hospital bed management: along with the "Chase the Patient" policy.

• Mission Save Lives: For hospitalized patients to reduce the mortality rate.

• Effective hospital management:

• Senior IAS officers were deputed to hospitals to supervise operations. 
• a single online dashboard for regulating COVID-19 beds in private hospitals at government rates.
• Online platform for dialysis management for COVID-1 9 patients.
• Treating suspected patients without test results.
• Dashboards were created in hospitals to provide information on crematoriums.

• Support to Health workers: e.g. in Mumbai, A staff was given Rs 50 lakh as compensation since she was not covered under any insurance scheme.

• Campaigns: E.g. "My Family My Responsibility" and "No Mask no Entry" campaign.

• Address Psychological issues of patients: E.g. In Mumbai, iPads with wi-fi were distributed to patients to interact with their family.