To assess the damage and draw a plan for repair and maintenance, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will conduct a structural audit of three jumbo Covid-19 centres that were evacuated ahead of the warning of heavy rainfall and high-speed wind in Mumbai due to Cyclone Tauktae. The civic body has said that these jumbo field centres have been up since the last one year and an audit of the structures is required to strengthen them. On Tuesday, a team of BMC-appointed auditors will visit BKC, Mulund and Dahisar jumbo Covid centres to assess the structures and submit a report in one day. Anticipating the cyclone impact, the BMC shifted more than 500 Covid-19 patients from BKC, Mulund and Dahisar Covid jumbo centres to other hospitals. More than 150 patients were in the ICU. Officials said that since these centres are now empty, the opportunity can be used for structural repair, strengthening and maintenance work. "Because these structures have been in use for the last one year, we did not have time to do a detailed audit. There were minor issues in these centres. The structural auditors will check oxygen supply systems, isolation centres, electricity supply system and structure parts to check exactly what repairs are needed. Until now it was occupied, so we did not get time to assess the structure," said Suresh Kakani, Additional Municipal Commissioner. Officials said there was no significant damage to these centres due to rainfall and gusty wind. On Sunday, auditors conducted outside inspection of the structures. BMC officials are also assessing damage to vaccination centres. "All ward officers have been asked to inspect the vaccination centres in the city before starting immunisation there," said Kakani. There are more than 260 vaccination centres in Mumbai. Guardian Minister Aaditya Thackeray visited BMC on Sunday and said that these jumbo centres will be repaired and maintenance work will be done in the next 10 days.
