Pune: Civic body to ready ward offices for swab collection

PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to provide swab collection facility at all its ward offices. People, who suspect they have symptoms of Covid-19, can benefit from the facility.
The decision to set up the swab collection facility was taken at a recent meeting between civic officials, a group of elected representatives and the city mayor.
“It will be possible to detect positive cases and enable early treatment if the facility is made available at every ward office. Currently, we need to take suspected patients from one part of the city to another just to collect swab samples. This hassle can be reduced with the new arrangement,” said mayor Murlidhar Mohol.
He added that the civic body is focusing on reducing the fatality rate among Covid-19 cases, for which a number of initiatives have been planned.
According to Mohol, swab collection will be free of cost. Symptomatic patients and people, who have been told by doctors to get the test done, will be prioritized. Further, any other citizen wishing to take the test out of health concern can avail the facility during working hours.
“Our aim is to start the centres as soon as possible but it will need a week’s time,” Mohol told TOI.
As per PMC officials, Covid-19 tests are being conducted at government health facilities as well as private laboratories. The civic body has increased the number of tests being carried out in municipal areas from 700 tests per day in April to 1,500, per day, in May.
PMC’s plan also includes increasing the number of ambulances in municipal areas. Each of the five zonal offices will get three ambulances.