The PCMC chief said for symptomatic patients, 4,000 beds are currently available. (File)
The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has decided against immediate implementation of ICMR guidelines on home quarantining Covid-19 patients who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms. The PCMC’s decision is primarily based on adequate availability of beds for patients in its hospitals and other acquired places.
“As of now, we are not implementing the norms for home quarantine of patients with mild symptoms or those who are asymptomatic,” Municipal Commissioner Shravan Hardikar told The Indian Express on Saturday.
The PCMC chief said for symptomatic patients, 4,000 beds are currently available. “Similarly, beds to accommodate 4,000 asymptomatic patients are also available…,” he said.
Two days ago, the number of Covid-19 cases in Pimpri-Chinchwad crossed 1,000. “Currently, there are 500 active cases. Of these, 120 are symptomatic while the rest are asymptomatic,” said Hardikar. At a civic general body meeting last week, Hardikar had said that by the end of this month, Pimpri-Chinchwad will see the number of cases go up to between 2,000 and 3000.
The PCMC administration said it will initiate the process of home quarantine only after it has trained its workers. “We need to train our health staff on various aspects of home isolation. They will have to constantly monitor the health of the patients and track them,” said Hardikar.
He added, “Local residents believe that if they are admitted to the hospital, they will not be able to survive, which is a wrong notion. Some fear the stigma, they think society will boycott them if they get infected or their health issues become public”.
But, said Hardikar, things were changing slowly. “People are now openly accepting that they are corona positive and are sharing videos on social media. This will help in getting on with the home quarantine process,” he said.
To ensure home isolation, Hardikar said the patient has to have a separate room in the house. “Patients with mild symptoms or those who are asymptomatic should have well-ventilated rooms with attached washrooms. If they meet this criteria, then they will be home quarantined. If these requirements are not met, the patient will have to be admitted to our hospitals,” he said.
Meanwhile, 15 persons, including a doctor and a nurse, have been quarantined after a 55- year-old ward boy tested positive for Covid-19 in civic-run Bhosari Hospital. “Throat swab samples of five persons have been sent for testing while 15 persons have been quarantined,” said the PCMC chief .
A 28-year-old woman from a containment zone in Pimpri and her newborn, who tested positive on June 3, were discharged from YCMH on Friday. “For five consecutive days, the woman and her newborn had no symptoms… and therefore, as per the new guidelines, they were discharged from YCMH,” said Dr Deepali Ambike, head of the paedriatic department.
Jagtap seeks action against pvt hospitals
BJP MLA Laxman Jagtap has complained to State Health Minister Rajesh Tope that private hospitals in Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune were violating government guidelines on reserving 80 per cent of their beds for Covid-19 patients. “Not only are they not reserving 80 per cent of the beds for Covid-19 patients, but they are also not prominently displaying treatment charges on hospital premises, as directed by the government,” Jagtap stated in a letter sent to the minister, and demanded strict action.