Pune: CoEP hospital to get additional agency; bid to operate 300 more beds

PUNE: The civic and district administration on Thursday decided to rope in one more agency and make another 300 beds operational to improve the functioning of the 800-bed makeshift Covid-19 jumbo hospital on the College of Engineering, Pune (CoEP) grounds.
Presently, only half of the 800 beds are functioning at the facility. The new agency will be brought in within the next couple of days. The administration also decided to set up a separate section for the patients’ relatives at the facility. Staffers will ensure regular health updates of patients to their relatives.
Pune divisional commissioner Saurabh Rao told TOI they would appoint the agency operating at the jumbo facility at Magar stadium in Pimpri Chinchwad to run half of the CoEP facility. “We had a detailed and fruitful talk with the agency, Medbro. Lifeline Services, which is operating the CoEP facility, has agreed to the arrangement. The entire operations should commence within two days. A pharmaceutical outlet will also come up on the premises,” he said.
Pune Municipal Corporation additional commissioner Rubal Agarwal said steps were being taken to improve the functioning of the CoEP facility. “The administration is looking to operate more oxygen-supported beds. Updates on the condition of patients will be provided at least 3-4 times a day.”
Relatives of many patients had complained about mismanagement at the facility. They claimed that access to the facility was restricted and that they had to wait for hours to get information about the patients. Some also claimed that bouncers were stationed at the entry point. According to the sister of a TV journalist who died at the facility on Wednesday, food and medicines given by the family did not reach him on time.
(With inputs from Nisha Nambiar)