Pune: ZP demands single window system for real-time ambulance and hospital bed management

Pune: Zilla Parishad members have demanded a single window system for real-time ambulance and hospital bed management to provide immediate relief to Covid-19 patients in rural areas of Pune district.

The death rate of Covid-19 patients in rural areas has quadrupled compared to the past. To control this, oxygenated and ventilator beds along with an ambulance (simple, with oxygen or cardiac) should be provided in least possible turnaround time. The hospital management room started by the Zilla Parishad to facilitate hospital beds to patients from rural areas in Pune city has been helpless. City hospitals are not providing information to this cell. . The unit does not even have simple information about which hospital has vacant oxygenated or ventilator beds.

Pune Zilla Parishad has recently set up this cell. Two Zilla Parishad staff have been appointed in each hospital to collect the information of available beds for this cell. However, it has been observed that the hospitals in the city do not provide any information to these employees. In the past, about 150 new Covid-19 patients were found in a day in Pune district. Now the daily rate has gone up to 900. Apart from this, a maximum of six patients were dying a day earlier, which has now gone up to at least 24 every day.

Sharad Butte Patil, BJP leader in Pune Zilla Parishad said, “A responsible officer should be appointed as coordinator for a single window cell. This cell should provide real time updates on the number of beds available in all hospitals and ambulances services, otherwise, patients in rural areas are at increased risk of deprivation of treatment.”

Ranjit Shivtare, Vice President of Pune Zilla Parishad said, “The fact is that Covid-19 patients in rural areas are not getting beds in urban hospitals. This has only led to an increase in deaths due to untimely treatment. This requires a single window approach to bed availability. The Zilla Parishad has made such a demand.”

PUNE ZILLA PARISHAD SHOULD DO THIS:

• Single window system on the lines of Pune Municipal Corporation.
• Real-time information on available oxygenated and ventilated beds per hour.
• The responsible officer should be appointed at district level.
• Hospital beds should be provided to the needy patients with the help of coordinators.
• These coordinators should have up-to-date information on ambulances.
• Ambulances should be made available to the needy patient immediately.