Maharashtra: 14-bed ward reserved at Mumbai’s Seven Hills Hospital for monkeypox

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 23 (ANI): A 14-bed ward has been reserved at Seven Hills Hospital in Maharashtra’s Mumbai as a precautionary measure regarding Monkeypox infection.

There is no single case of monkeypox in the Mumbai metropolitan area, however, measures were taken by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) as directed by the government.

The Public Health Department of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has been coordinating with the Health Information Room of the International Airport.

The cases of monkeypox have been reported in Pakistan and Sweden. Considering the number of foreign visitors in the Mumbai metropolis, more precautions have been taken. No case of ‘monkeypox’ infection has been reported in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation area yet.

Speaking to ANI, Assistant Medical Superintendent Dr Pradnya Pawar said, “We have set up 14 isolation beds. We have dedicated this ward to monkeypox. We also have an ICU for monkeypox. If a monkeypox suspect with serious complications comes in, we will admit him/her there. In India, we have not seen any cases but it is assumed that there can be cases. The main symptoms are rashes, fever, cough, and soar throat. A monkeypox patient can have asymptomatic symptoms.”

Earlier on, former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Prithviraj Chavan, has called for proactive measures to implement testing and quarantine facilities at Mumbai Airport in response to the global spread of the monkeypox (Mpox) virus.

In a letter to the state’s Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde, Chavan recommended the immediate implementation of testing and quarantine facilities at Mumbai Airport for passengers arriving from high-incidence countries, a measure that was inadequately enforced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Mpox a public health emergency of international concern. This decision comes amid a rapid surge in the spread of the disease in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and its detection in neighbouring countries.

Pakistan’s federal health ministry confirmed the country’s first Mpox case. On August 16, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) health department confirmed two more Mpox cases in the province, as reported by the Express Tribune.

The Swedish government also confirmed its first case of Mpox, marking the first case of the variant outside Africa, according to Al Jazeera.