The centre at Balnagari has a general ward and oxygen beds.

A 400-bed Covid Care Centre set up by the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) at Balnagar in Indrayani Nagar area is ready and is now awaiting patients. However, a 200-bed Dedicated Covid Hospital, which was supposed to start on Independence Day, has been delayed and is not likely to start this week, officials said.

“The 400-bed Covid Care Centre at Balnagari will start admitting patients. It has a general ward and oxygen beds,” said Municipal Commissioner Shravan Hardikar on Sunday.

PCMC health chief Dr Anil Roy said the Dedicated Covid Hospital at Auto Cluster in Chinchwad has been delayed due to delayed arrival of oxygen tank. “And since the hospital will have ICU facility, we want to ensure it gets interrupted power supply. It will take a few more days for the hospital to start admitting patients,” he said. The hospital will have 200 beds — 150 oxygen beds and 50 ICU beds.

Both the Balnagari and Auto Cluster facilities will be run by private entities. “Though we are setting up both facilities, they will be run by private entities. We have put in place a team of over 200 doctors and nurses. The private doctors will be paid as per rates being decided,” Dr Roy said.

As part of efforts to increase oxygen and ventilator beds, PCMC had decided to set up the 200-bed hospital, 400-bed Covid Care Centre and a jumbo 800-bed hospital at Nehrunagar. “At Balnagari, we will be admitting patients with mild or moderate symptoms,” Dr Roy said.

Meanwhile, two ICUs at YCM hospital, which were delayed, have started functioning. “One new ICU has started full operations. While another one too has started, as of now it is not full with patients. YCM hospital now has five ICUs. Four belong to PCMC and one to Ruby Alcare, a private body. There are a total 90 beds in the two ICUs. At least 45 are ventilator beds,” said YCMH dean Dr Rajendra Wable.

Dr Wable said in ICU, they have stopped the public address system for counselling patients. “Instead, we are laying emphasis on individualised counselling. The public address system was creating unnecessary noise and was therefore stopped. However, in other wards the system continues,” he said.

PCMC on I-Day also started a drive to test shopkeepers. “We have been focussing on super spreaders to bring positive cases down. For the past few days, we have been getting 900-1,000 positive cases,” he said.

Meanwhile, Abdul Karim Japher (73), former general secretary of Pune Malayalee Federation, died of coronavirus last week. K Harinarayan of PMF said, “Japher was associated with Lions Club and other organisations. He was known for his philanthropic work.” He lived in Pradhikaran.

Two corporators of Pimpri-Chinchwad have also tested positive. BJP corporator Babu Nair, who on Friday tested positive, has been admitted to Dinanath Mangeshkar hospital. “I was repeatedly visiting a private hospital where my mother was undergoing treatment. She died on Friday evening. I think I got infected at the hospital though I always wore a mask,” he said. Nair’s wife and son have also tested positive.

Another BJP corporator Aasha Shendge of Kasarwadi, said, “I was constantly reaching out to people of my area. Maybe that is how I got infected.”

PCMC health card plan since 2010

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a “unique health card for all citizens”, PCMC has been implementing such a plan in its hospital, primarily at YCMH hospital, since 2010 when Asheesh Sharma was the civic chief. “The plan has been in place for close to a decade. However, it is not a comprehensive one. The central government health card will have wide features,” said PCMC chief Shravan Hardikar. YCMH dean Rajendra Wable said, “YCMH health card shows recent history of patient concerning his treatment and diagnosis but does not have complete information and the card cannot be used at other hospitals.”