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To deal with the severe bed crunch in Mumbai amid COVID-19 crisis, private hospitals (Jaslok Hospital being one of them) would use five and four star hotels to treat COVID-19 patients with mild infection.

As of now, two hotels would start functioning as COVID-19 facility from today, Thursday, April 15. However, doctors would have to approve such transfers.
Hospitals can charge up to ? 4,000 for these facilities and ? 6,000 for a room if anyone is staying with the patient.

Walk-ins of asymptomatic patients are also allowed but only after the concerned doctor’s approval.

“It is seen that many beds in private hospitals are occupied by patients who do not require emergency medical intervention, such patients can be effectively and adequately managed at isolation facilities such as step-down facilities,” said a notice of the Public Health Department.

The hotels would require a minimum of 20 rooms for the patients and would ensure round-the clock medical services and facilities including doctor consultation, nurses, medicines and ambulance transfers.

Patients from Bombay Hospital in south Mumbai who do not require critical care will be shifted to the Intercontinental Hotel on Marine Drive. Patients from the HN Reliance Foundation Hospital will be moved to the Trident Hotel at the Bandra-Kurla Complex. Thirty more ICU beds are being added to Seven Hills Hospital today, reported NDTV.