Thread by @ThePrintIndia

On 8 May, I took charge at 7 pm and held meetings till midnight. That evening we coined the term ‘Chase the Virus,’ @mybmc Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal tells @ShekharGupta at #ThePrintOTC

I am a national level marathon runner, a swimmer and yoga instructor. I don’t feel fatigue, BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal says at #ThePrintOTC

The first game changer was that in the middle of the pandemic I abolished the central control room. We came up with ward war rooms, Iqbal Singh Chahal says at #ThePrintOTC

We have a ‘Chase the Patient’ policy where BMC does everything right from chasing his or her test reports to putting the patient in the hospital, @mybmc Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal says at #ThePrintOTC

I would like to salute the private hospitals in Mumbai, which have surrendered 80 percent of their beds to us, taking a hit of Rs 700 crore, but serving us with a smile, @mybmc Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal says at #ThePrintOTC

In second wave, 95 percent cases are from non-slums areas, the rich and super rich are getting Covid and they are impatient unlike people from slums, Iqbal Singh Chahal tells @ShekharGupta at #ThePrintOTC

In the second wave, of 3 lakh cases, almost 86% are asymptomatic, and of the remaining 14%, only 2,000 have gone on ventilator, Iqbal Singh Chahal of @mybmc says at #ThePrintOTC

We would keep 2,000 oxygen beds in our Jumbo hospitals for suspected cases only. We have saved 20,000 people this way, @mybmc Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal tells @ShekharGupta at #ThePrintOTC

We are the only city to have done 23 lakh vaccinations. Last 15 days data shows, mortality in 60+ age group is much lower than earlier due to vaccination, Iqbal Singh Chahal says in conversation with @ShekharGupta at #ThePrintOTC

I could not sleep after a former CM asked me to ensure the early cremation of a former MP. Within 3 days I got in touch with IIT Mumbai & we made an online dashboard for crematoriums, says BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal at #ThePrintOTC

Our slum population gained herd immunity, but are not coming forward for vaccination. We have opened centres in all these areas, Iqbal Singh Chahal @IqbalSinghChah2 says at #ThePrintOTC

Vaccine availability is an issue. Whatever stock has come to us has come from the government so far, but after May 1 we will be able to procure directly for 18+. We have formed a committee for global bid as well, @mybmc Commissioner tells @ShekharGupta at #ThePrintOTC

A fortnight ago, the CM said we should prepare for a third wave. We are constructing four more field hospitals. In each of these places there will be 2,000 beds, 70% with oxygen, and 200 ICU, @mybmc Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal says at #ThePrintOTC

All of the upcoming jumbos facilities will have oxygen generation plants. They will not get even a single unit of oxygen from outside, @mybmc commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal tells @ShekharGupta #ThePrintOTC.

We have major hospitals to take over the jumbo facilities. We will provide all the medical equipment -- the hospitals can run these as an additional attachment of their facilities, says Iqbal Singh Chahal in conversation with @ShekharGupta at #ThePrintOTC.

In Mumbai, you hardly hear a complaint that somebody has been overcharged in the hospitals even in top hospital, says Iqbal Singh Chahal at #ThePrintOTC.

We can actually cover the entire target vaccination group of 18+ plus in Mumbai in 90 days if we get the 1.4 crore doses, @mybmc Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal tells @ShekharGupta at #ThePrintOTC.

Mumbai did not dismantle any of its jumbo facilities because we anticipated another Covid wave. A facility with 3,000 beds, 224 ICUs at one time in January had only 3 patients, says Iqbal Singh Chahal at #ThePrintOTC.

We created an online portal with resources for those patients who are on permanent dialysis, so that they are not left without access to dialysis if they get Covid, @mybmc Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal tells @ShekharGupta at #ThePrintOTC.

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