Two doctors from Kerala are travelling to Mumbai, to assist in Covid-19 efforts. They belong to a group of doctors and nurses who have come together to help the Maharashtrian capital in its fight against coronavirus.

By next week, about 50 doctors and 100 nurses are planning to go to Mumbai. While all of them are from different parts of the country, 80% of them are from Kerala.

Dr Santosh Kumar S S, Deputy Superintendent, Trivandrum Medical College and Dr Sajeesh Gopalan, Anesthetist and Intensivist will leave for Mumbai from Kochi this evening.

Dr Kumar had led the team from Trivandrum to Kasargod to set up a coronavirus hospital there. He is the only doctor from the goverment sector among the group of doctors, and has taken special permission to go to Mumbai. All others are working in the private sector.

The team is hoping to assist in setting up a 600-bed hospital with 125 ICU beds at the Race Course Road in Mumbai. BMC will also be providing remuneration to these doctors and nurses.

Dr Kumar, when asked on why he decided to travel to Mumbai, said – “Mumbai and Maharashtra are the worst affected by Covid-19 pandemic. The resources in Mumbai are overstretched due to the high number of cases and many also require intensive care. So we are trying to help.”

He added that the city’s healthcare system requires more doctors, particularly anesthetists, intensivists, physicians, pulmonologists and paediatricians.

He hopes to assist through his experience gained at Kasargod. “At present what we can do is focus on the treatment and provide whatever help we can.”

“Only after that we can talk about surveillance and what can be done,” said the doctor, who is also not taking any sort of remuneration for the service he will be rendering in Mumbai.