Mumbai, Apr 15 (PTI) The Mumbai civic body has decided to convert the Jaslok Hospital here into a dedicated facility only for COVID-19 patients in the wake of a huge spike in cases of the viral infection in the city.<br><br> According to a circular issued by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday, the Jaslok Hospital will no longer admit non-COVID-19 patients and instructions to this effect have been issued to the hospital's management. <br><br> It is the first prominent private hospital to be declared as a dedicated COVID-19 facility in the city since the second wave of the coronavirus here, BMC sources said.<br><br> The civic body has directed the hospital to discharge all stable patients, admitted in its non-COVID-19 wards, who do not require tertiary care.<br><br> The hospital has also been asked to transfer the non-COVID-19 patients requiring tertiary care to nearby facilities within 48 hours.<br><br> "All patients admitted for elective surgeries to be discharged by postponing the elective surgeries," reads the BMC's order. <br><br> According to the BMC, the hospital was treating COVID-19 patients with advanced critical care since the outbreak of the pandemic last year.<br><br> On Wednesday, Mumbai recorded 9,925 new COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to 5,44,942, while 54 more patients succumbed to the infection, according to the civic body. PTI KK GK