COVID-19 curve flattens, death rate declines in Mumbai's Dharavi

The slum-cluster of Dharavi in Mumbai was a big concern for the Maharashtra government and the Centre, but multiple strategies seem to be working and it now comes as a bit of relief as the COVID-19 death rate in the area has come down and curve seems to be flattening.

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Dharavi, that comes under G-North ward, that also comprises Dadar and Mahim, is a COVID-19 hotspot of Mumbai, the commercial capital of India. The death rate has come down and the flattening of the curve is seen, according to the data of BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation.

During the last week, not a single death was reported from Dharavi.

On April 1, Dharavi reported its first case and death, when a 56-year-old person from Dr Baliga Nagar died. In the next couple of weeks, the cases zoomed and even the Inter Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) visited Dharavi to review the situation and discussed the issue with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Public Health and Family Welfare Minister Rajesh Tope. The state government had also given a briefing to Union Health Minister Dr Harsha Vardhan.

As on Sunday, the total deaths due to COVID-19 in Dharavi was 71, while positive cases stood at 1,912.

In Dharavi itself, the worst-hit areas are Social Nagar, Matunga Labour Camp, Dharavi Cross Road, 90 Feet Road and Kumbharwada.

According to BMC officials, the recovery rate is nearly 50 percent and the doubling rate, over 40 days. "In Dharavi, we followed the testing and screening aggressively," BMC officials said, adding that preventive measures were the strategy.

Several fever clinics were opened and people were checked.

As part of the war against novel coronavirus, the 'Chase the Virus' campaign was launched to break the cycle of spread. Against every patient, 15 of their close contacts were quarantined. The frontline caregivers were also given medicines.

New institutional quarantine facilities with ICU beds also came up at the Mahim Nature Park. The three hospitals here are Sai Hospital, Family Care Hospital and Prabhat Nursing Home, that together has 100 beds.

Senior patients were shifted to the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital at Sion and the King Edward Memorial Hospital at Parel.

A senior official of the Maharashtra Medical Council also noted that a very large migrant population have moved out from Dharavi. "That ensured physical distancing. The CRPF was also deployed along with local police," the official said.

According to Assistant Municipal Commissioner, Kiran Dighavkar, around 38,000 people were quarantined at home and 8,500 were sent to institutional quarantine. Dharavi has a population of nearly 7 to 10 lakh, staying and working in 2.1 sq km.