Currently, there are 446 beds at Sassoon General Hospital (Representational Image)
By August 10, 850 beds for Covid-19 patients will be functional at Sassoon General Hospital, while Aundh District Hospital will dedicate 90 beds for patients. Divisional Commissioner Saurabh Rao and District Collector Naval Kishore Ram assured that the focus is on increasing the bed strength and walk-in interviews have also been arranged for recruiting specialists like intensivists and others.
Currently, there are 446 beds at Sassoon General Hospital and by August 10, the number of beds is expected to increase to 850, Divisional Commissioner Rao said, adding that the government has spent Rs 60-65 crore on the 11-storeyed superspecialty building at the government-run hospital.
Other government hospitals like Aundh District Hospital, which has 310 beds, will dedicate 90 of them for Covid-19 patients. District Collector Naval Kishore Ram visited Aundh District Hospital on Monday and took stock of the number of beds that can be dedicated for Covid patients.
The number of cases in Pune has crossed 90,000, and the district recorded 2,084 deaths till Sunday night. “Our focus is also on increasing beds across private hospitals. The administration of various private hospitals also admitted that they are facing technical issues in declaring all beds for Covid-19 patients. We are also seeking solutions on the issue,” Rao said.
For instance, at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital the management has increased its bed strength to 430 for Covid-19 patients while Ruby Hall Clinic has dedicated more than 300 beds for Covid patients.
Inlaks Hospital has given 300 beds for COVID patients and according to Dr Sanjay Lalwani, medical director of Bharati Hospital, an additional 100 more beds will be added for Covid patients, taking the total number to 350 beds. At Jehangir Hospital, a total of 120 beds are dedicated for Covid patients, while N M Wadia Hospital has a total of 55 beds, of which 40 have been dedicated for Covid-19 patients.
According to Dr Lalwani, the main issue was lack of availability of specialists. At Bharati Hospital, efforts are underway to recruit staff from the nursing college.
Collector presents figures, says no discrepancy in Sassoon deaths
District Collector Naval Kishore Ram has denied claims that there were suspected Covid-19 deaths that have not been recorded so far at Sassoon General Hospital. “No death is unaccounted for,” the district collector said on Monday.
Mayor Murlidhar Mohol had claimed that there could be as many as additional 400-500 deaths, which were not registered as deaths due to coronavirus. Sassoon Hospital authorities were directed to analyse the cause of deaths of patients who died in July this year and compare it with the figures in July 2019.
Sassoon hospital data shows that in July last year, there were 331 deaths reported due to natural causes, while this year in July, there were 387 deaths due to natural causes. In July last year, there were 216 deaths due to unnatural causes while this year, 144 deaths were reported in July.
“We want to categorically state that each death is accounted for,” the district collector reiterated.
Meanwhile, of the 8,661 patients admitted at Sassoon General Hospital till date, a total of 1,722 were Covid positive. A total of 558 deaths have been reported due to the infection while 998 persons have been discharged so far.