Pune: PMC spent Rs 150 crore on COVID-19 measures in three months

Pune: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has spent Rs 150 crore in the last three months as a part of various measures to control the COVID-19 outbreak in the city. About 20 per cent of the spend that is Rs 30 have been paid to the private hospitals as charges for treating the COVID-positive patients admitted at their facilities.

PMC has spent its maximum funds on the health department in the last three months. This expense is equivalent to the salaries of the PMC employees for three months. PMC has utilised the funds for paying bills of patients admitted at the COVID-hospitals, essential equipment purchase, fumigation, house-to-house survey, transportation of patients, food and other expenses at the quarantine and isolation facilities. All these purchases and expenditure has been done under the special rights given to Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad.

The total COVID-positive patients count in the city has gone above 14 thousand. If the number of patients increases, then an additional Rs 100 crore fund will be required by the PMC to make adequate health and food arrangements while tackling the crisis. Hence the PMC has now demanded that the state government should make additional funds provision of Rs 100 crore for the civic body for better handling of the COVID-crisis.

20 PER CENT EXPENSE ON HOSPITAL BILLS

The PMC has entered into agreements with 10 private hospitals in the city for treating the COVID-positive patients. These hospitals are known as COVID-hospitals. The cost of treatment of patients admitted in these hospitals is reimbursed by the PMC to the hospital according to the norms laid down by the central government. PMC has paid about Rs 30 crore to the hospitals so far.

PMC has spent on emergency hospital equipment, transporting the patients to the hospitals and making food arrangements for about seven to eight thousand patients every day at the quarantine and isolation centres.