COVID-19 Pune: Deputy CM Ajit Pawar instructs officials to setup three jumbo hospital facilities

Pune: In view of the rising number of COVID-19 cases, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has instructed district administration officials to set-up three jumbo hospital facilities in the district for providing good healthcare and treatment to COVID-patients. Earlier, the administration had planned for only one jumbo facility of an 800-bed hospital at Balewadi.

Pawar gave these instructions on Monday during a review meeting with senior administrative officers held at the Council Hall. Mayor Murlidhar Mohol, Divisional Commissioner Dr Deepak Mhaisekar, Special Officer on Duty Saurabh Rao, Settlement Commissioner S Chokkalingam, District Collector Naval Kishor Ram, Pune Municipal Commissioner Vikram Kumar, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Commissioner Shravan Hardikar, Pune Police Commissioner Dr K Venkatesham, Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) CEO Suhas Divase, Cooperative Commissioner Anil Kavade, Groundwater Survey and Development Agency director Kaustubh Divegaonkar, Additional Municipal Commissioner for Pune Rubal Agrawal, Shantanu Goyal, Pune Rural Police Superintendent Sandeep Patil, Sassoon Hospital Dean Dr Murlidhar Tambe and other officers were present for the meeting.

Pawar said, “The administration is taking all efforts to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. We have to take precautions to ensure that the epidemic does not get out of our control. We have to make plans considering the projection of COVID-19 positive patients till August end. Pune city and other parts of the districts will need three jumbo hospital facilities for treatment of such a large number of patients.”

Pawar also assured that all matters at the secretariat level will be expedited to set-up health facilities and other infrastructure support in the district. He also asked the officials to ensure that hospitals do not charge exorbitant amounts to patients for COVID treatment.

Dr Mhaisekar and Saurabh Rao briefed him about the measures taken by the district administration to contain the COVID-19 cases in the district.Rao had recently laid out the timeline for the construction of the ‘jumbo facility’ of an 800-bedded hospital at Balewadi including 600 oxygenated beds and 200 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds.

A notice for ‘Expression of Interest’ (EOI) for the creation of the jumbo facility was recently published. The work order for this facility will be issued latest by July 28 or 29 and possession of the facility will be taken by August 15 to 21, Rao had claimed.