PCMC sets up Covid-19 helpline as complaints of bed unavailability rise

As active Covid-19 cases continue to climb in Pimpri-Chinchwad, civic officials are grappling with complaints of shortage of beds in hospitals. To tackle the situation, the civic administration has set up helpline numbers exclusively for Covid-19 patients.

Additional health chief Dr Pavan Salve said three helpline numbers have been set up for Covid-19 patients. “The Covid-19 patients should not face any problem in getting a bed or any kind of help they need. That’s why we have set up three helpline numbers. Each helpline number has 10 connections,” he said.

Health officials say Pimpri-Chinchwad is now logging more than 3,000 cases each day. “Though the number fell to 2,000 on Monday, it was due to the fact that many private labs are closed on Sundays,” he said.

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Salve said they are getting complaints every day regarding unavailability of beds in hospitals. “To tackle this problem, we have set up hospital bed management helpline, home isolation helpline and doctors help to guide the patients,” he said. For hospital bed management, families can contact on 020-67331151 and 67331152. For other purposes, the helpline numbers are 020-67331141, 42.

Dr Salve said the number of active cases has reached 22,551. “Of these, 18,747 are in home isolation and 3804 are hospitalised. They should contact the doctors and update about their health or seek any help,” he said. “Similarly, the helpline numbers will guide the patients about the availability of beds in a particular hospital.”

The health department officials said containment zones have also increased sharply. The industrial city has seen an increase of major containment zones by 181 and micro containment zones by 1,646. “More micro containment zones are being set up…This is because if we find two or three cases in a flat or on a floor, immediately that particular flat or floor is declared as micro containment zones. The figure of containment zones keep changing every day,” officials said.

As per the latest figures available from PCMC health department, 900 beds are available in private and PCMC hospitals. “Of these 800 beds are in private hospitals, 123 in COVID Care Centres of PCMC. There are only 30 oxygen beds available in PCMC hospitals,” said PCMC health chief Dr Anil Roy.