Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) has acquired one hundred vials of the Remdisivir injection for its frontline workers. Till date, as many as 610 staffers from its transport and electricity wing have been infected with Covid-19 in the line of duty, of whom nine have succumbed.
"Mumbai is one of the cities with the highest number of Covid-19 cases. As a result, these drugs are in huge demand. So as a precautionary measure, we have procured this drug for our frontline workers being treated for COVID-19" said Dr Anil Kumar Singhal, Chief Medical Officer, BEST.
At present, BEST has 150 active cases, 460 patients have already been discharged and the recovery rate has shot up to a healthy 75 per cent.
"All BEST staffers who are undergoing treatment have been infected while on duty. We have acquired these vials to be on the safe side, so that in case there is a shortage in hospitals, we can fall back on our stock for the treatment of our own staff," said Dr Singhal.
Dr Singhal also mentioned, 60 per cent of the150 active patients undergoing treatment are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms. Till dat, 25 Covid-19 infected patients undergoing treatment at hospitals in Maharashtra had been transferred to Mumbai.
Meanwhile, the BEST management has fired 14 employees so far, who were sent chargesheets for not reporting to work. Earlier this month, the undertaking had sent notices to those employees who had not reported for work since the lockdown imposed in March.
