The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) on Wednesday directed the Pune district collectorate to look into the functioning of PCMC-run Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial (YSM) Hospital, which is facing shortage of expert doctors and has recorded large number of deaths due to coronavirus disease (Covid-19). Meanwhile, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation on Wednesday flagged off the work for construction of a 800-bed jumbo hospital in Nehrunagar area of the industrial city. The CMO in an email to the Vigilance Committee for Pune district asked the collectorate to probe a complaint made by one of its members. “After the report published in The Indian Express on Monday, I had complained to the CMO that there was need to probe the functioning of the YCM hospital where large number of deaths of Covid-19 patients seems to have taken place due to shortage of specialist doctors. The Principal Secretary in the CMO has asked the collectorate to look into the complaint,” Sagar Charan, member of the Vigilance Committee, told The Indian Express. Pune District Collector Naval Kishore Ram said, “We are already looking into the matter as I have personally taken up with the issue with Municipal Commissioner Shravan Hardikar. The PCMC chief has told me that in last seven to 10 days, situation has improved at YCM hospital and further efforts are being made to put things in order. We are preparing to a send team to YCM hospital to find out the problems plaguing the hospital.” In his complaint to the CMO, Charan said that large number of deaths of Covid-19 patients at YCM hospital seems to be primarily because there was a severe shortage of specialists resulting in junior doctors handling the patients. “I had pointed out that even pulmonologists who are required for treating serious pneumonia patients are not available at YCM hospital. This was a very serious gaffe and needed thorough investigation,” he said. “In ICU, intensivists are required to handle critical patients who are on ventilators. Even intensivists are missing from YCMH's ICU. If doctors who treat fractures are asked to treat Covid-19 patients, who suffer from chest or lung ailment or respiratory problem, deaths are bound to happen,” Charan wrote in his letter to the CMO. Hospital dean Dr Rajendra Wable had told The Indian Express on Sunday that some of the deaths could have been prevented if they had more number of specialists. Charan said he also mentioned in his complaint that there was shortage of oxygenated and ventilator beds at YCM hospital. “Two ICUs cannot be operated as there is shortage of doctors. These equipment play very important part in saving a patient’s life.,” he said. Charan said besides all these, he has also raised issues like poor quality of food at PCMC-run hospitals and Covid Care Centres and government staff and corporators when testing positive for Covid-19 preferring private hospital treatment. “This clearly shows that they have no confidence in civic hospitals,” he said in the letter. Meanwhile, Hardikar said the work on setting up of the 800-bed jumbo hospital in Nehrunagar area started on Wednesday. “The hospital will have 600 oxygen beds and 50 ventilator beds and 150-bed in the High Dependency Unit,” he said. Hardikar said the hospital was a joint initiative of PCMC, district collectorate, divisional commissionerate and PMRDA. The hospital is being set up at a cost of Rs 70 crore, of which the state government is providing 50 per cent while the other authorities will share the remaining cost. Meanwhile, Hardikar said there has been a delay in issuing orders for the appointment of specialists doctors. “We had planned to issue the orders on Tuesday, but it has been delayed as we are checking and cross checking various provisions and seeking clarification from experts. I will issue the order as soon as possible,” he said.
