Pune: PMC to get an additional 600 oxygen beds

Pune: Concerned by the rising number of critical cases of COVID-19 in the city, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has planned to get an additional 600 oxygen beds for patients. PMC has roped in manufacturing companies and distributors of oxygen enrichment units.

If this plan of PMC succeeds, then COVID-19 patients in serious conditions can receive oxygen support during the treatment and recover fast. This will help in reducing the case fatality ratio too.

Presently, there are 10,664 active cases in Pune city out of which more than 500 cases are critical. These critical cases need ICU, oxygen and ventilator support for patients during their treatment. Although the total number of beds is sufficient in the city, there is a shortage of beds with ventilator and oxygen support for treating these critical patients. This is a major reason why long queues of patients are seen outside hospitals for the last few days. Moreover, patients with mild symptoms have occupied most of the oxygen beds, due to which patients with serious condition and comorbidities are not able to get these beds easily.

PMC has increased the daily testing capacity due to which the number of total COVID-cases and critical cases has increased. If additional ventilators and oxygen beds are not arranged, then the new patients will be left to fend for themselves. Alarmed over this pending situation, PMC officials swung into action and arranged meetings with manufacturing companies and distributors of oxygen enrichment units. The meeting was chaired by PMC Additional Commissioner Rubal Agrawal, Health Chief Dr Ramchandra Hankare.

Representatives of companies like Inox Air Products, Qualisurge Surgicals, etc., were present. The companies and distributors raised some issues faced by them from the supply side. PMC officials have assured the companies to resolve these issues at the earliest.

Rubal Agrawal, Additional Municipal Commissioner of PMC said, "There is a huge demand for oxygen beds in the city. We have identified companies that can provide oxygen beds and we are encouraging them to match the supplies with demand. For that, we are improving the basic infrastructure facilities in civic and private hospitals."

Bed count in the city:

Active cases - 10,664
Oxygen Beds - 2500
Total Ventilators - 700
Ventilators for COVID-19 patients - 250

Edited by:
Khevna Pandit