It was started in September last year after COVID-19 cases started rising significantly and hospitals struggled to accommodate patients. After the Pune Municipal Corporation which is restarting its COEP jumbo hospital facility, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation too has decided to restart its Nehrunagar jumbo facility in the next two days. The decision was taken as all civic hospitals are filled to capacity with COVID-19 patients.
“We are planning to restart our Nehrunagar jumbo facility within next two-three days,” PCMC health chief Dr Anil Roy told this paper on Tuesday. Dr. Roy was on Monday appointed as the coordinating officer relating to hospital bed management and other related activities.
Dr. Roy said the staff and infrastructure at the jumbo facility are ready and therefore it would not be difficult to restart it. The jumbo facility will be run by a private party. It has been set up by the PMRDA, PCMC, and the district collectorate jointly. It was started in September last year after COVID-19 cases started rising significantly and hospitals struggled to accommodate patients. As the cases went down from November, the jumbo facility was closed down in January.
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Dr. Roy said though the jumbo facility has 816 beds, they initially plan to start only 200 beds. “As the demand rises, we will increase the bed capacity by 100 at one time,” he said.
The PCMC has been forced to restart the jumbo facility as in this month, the positive cases have jumped significantly. Every day, Pimpri-Chinchwad is registering around 1400 or more than 1400 positive cases. As a result, all PCMC run hospitals are filled to capacity.
Dr. Roy said PCMC has around 1000 beds at its YCMH, Jijamata, Bhosari hospitals and Balnagari COVID Care centre. “We will be opening one for COVID Care Centre with 300 beds along with the jumbo facility,” he said.
Civic officials the total bed capacity in Pimpri-Chinchwad is 2,969 which includes those in private hospitals as well. As of now, 1,717 beds are occupied while 1,252 beds available,” officials said.