Chandrapur: Former MP and senior Congress leader Naresh Puglia has called upon the administration to build a 500-bed jumbo Covid hospital to deal with the pandemic crisis.
Puglia claimed that the 1,067 beds, including 93 ICU ventilator beds, 224 ICU oxygen beds and 750 oxygen beds, in Dedicated Covid Hospitals and dedicated Covid health centres were not enough to deal with the high number of patients. He demanded immediate measures to provide more treatment facilities in the light of rising number of patients.
Puglia appreciated the approach of Chandrapur MLA Kishor Jorgewar, who donated Rs1 crore from his MLA fund for building Covid hospitals in the light of hassles faced by patients and their relatives in finding a bed.
Puglia pointed out that there are two Lok Sabha members, 5 MLAs, and two MLCs from the district. If each of the MLAs provides Rs1 crore and each MP gives Rs2 crore, then it would add up to Rs11 crore. In addition, essential grants from mining royalty fund can be contributed for the construction 500-bed jumbo Covid hospital, he said.
He also suggested taking the help of some private agency to build the 500-bed Covid hospital. He warned that if the administration fails to do so, entire responsibility of deaths and hassles faced by relatives of patients will lie upon them.
MLA Jorgewar too has pitched for hassle-free permissions to private hospitals ready to build Covid treatment facilities. In letters sent to CM Uddhav Thackeray and health minister Rajesh Tope, he demanded that administration should set aside stringent conditions laid down to build Covid hospital.
The MLA claimed that many private hospitals have applied to set up Covid treatment facility, however stringent permission process has delayed their efforts. If these hospitals are given permission, Chandrapur can have additional facility of around 300 beds, Jorgewar has pointed out.