Pune civic body to turn more college hostels into quarantine facilities as cases increase rapidly

Now, the PMC has started taking over hostels of Trinity College and Sinhagad College on Kondhwa-Saswad Road, JSPM College and SM Joshi College in Hadapsar, College of Engineering Pune and Polytechnic College in Shivajinagar, and Industrial Training Institute in Aundh and Hall on Azam Campus.

“The number of COVID-19 patients are doubling every week. It is estimated that if the rate continues then the PMC should have the facility to accommodate 11,000 patients by the end of May, and preparations are on for the same,” said a civic official.

To contain the spread of the infection, the PMC has started moving residents of slums in hotspot areas to shelters in nearby civic schools.

“The PMC strategy is to move slum residents to safer place as they are more prone to infection due to their living conditions in densely populated and congested area,” said Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad.

The PMC is taking help of the police for screening citizens and moving suspected cases to quarantine centres.

The PMC is also concerned over checking the expenditure at the quarantine centres. “There is a demand for toiletries, including toothbrush, toothpaste, hair oil and comb, from quarantine and isolation centres across the city. This should not be done and citizens kept in quarantine and isolation centre should get their own items,” said Shantanu Goel, Additional Municipal Commissioner.

He said the furniture along with computer and printer at the centre should be made available by respective ward offices of the area.