Scary: Lobby turned into COVID ward at Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital

As the entire nation ended the weekend with the record 152,879 Covid cases being reported on Sunday, it was only a matter of time that overflowing figures were going to result in over flooded healthcare system. In the grip of the pandemic is Maharashtra, so much so that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has already indicated about being left with no choice other than the imposition of a strict lockdown which can be announced any time now. Till that happens and the cases drop, the seams are coming apart at the already overwhelmed, overloaded health infrastructure of the nation.

Lobby turns into ward

The lift lobby of Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital, one of the top hospitals in the city, was converted into a COVID ward to accommodate the influx of patients. In a video that has gone viral, the lobby on the eighth floor of the hospital can be seen turned into ward by the administration after getting consent from the long queue of patients outside the hospital.

Maharashtra reported 63,294 cases new Covid cases on Sunday. The entire nation, including Maharashtra, is inthe grip of the second wave of infection.

Lilavati Hospital released an official statement on social media

In response to the ruckus created by the video circulating on social media, the hospital issued an official statement, "Considering the shortage of Covid beds due to the surge in number of Covid patients who want to get admitted in Lilavati Hospital and subsequent directives from BMC to increase Covid bed capacity, makeshift beds have been put in the lobby of the floor dedicated for the treatment of Covid patients. This arrangement has been made to help the patients so that immediate treatment can be started by the same set of doctors, nurses and paramedical staff."

The senior doctors at the hospital have further spoken about severe shortage of vaccines, oxygen and medicines not just at the hospital but in the state.