Pimpri Chinchwad: At present, no shortage of beds for coronavirus patients

PCMC Health chief Dr Anil Roy said around 100-125 patients require hospitalisation everyday.

There is current availability of around 1,300 beds.

Allaying fears over availability of beds for coronavirus patients, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation on Thursday said “at present there was no shortage of beds in the industrial city.”

“We have adequate number of beds as of Friday. Citizens who have severe symptoms should get themselves admitted to hospitals,” PCMC Health chief Dr Anil Roy told The Indian Express.

Dr Roy said as of Friday morning, there were 1,328 vacant beds reserved for coronavirus patients in various hospitals of the industrial city. “Every day, around 100-125 patients require hospitalisation. Therefore, we don’t think there is a possibility of the industrial city immediately running out of bed space for COVID-19 patients,” he said.

The health department said of the total cases every day, 80 to 90 per cent are home isolated. “These are cases with mild symptoms. However, those who have comorbidities and are senior citizens require hospitalisation,” officials said.

Dr Roy said besides the current availability of 1,300 beds, the restarting of the jumbo hospital at Nehrunagar will also ease any possibility of bed shortage. “The Nehrunagar jumbo hospital has 800 beds. We plan to start 100 at one time. As the demand increases, we will add more adds,” he said. Dr Roy said besides the jumbo hospital, they were also starting a 300 bed Covid Care Centre at Gharkul which would further enhance the bed capacity.

PCMC additional health chief Dr Pavan Salve said, “We are confident we won’t run out of bed space as there is high demand from hospitals to accommodate COVID patients. Even if a hospital has 10-15 beds, they are seeking permission for admitting coronavirus patients. Therefore, as hospital number increases, bed strength will also go up. Currently though, we don’t have shortage of beds,” he said.

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Meanwhile, the civic health department said it has so far fined as many as 39,827 citizens for not wearing masks. “We have collected around Rs 2 crore in fine from them,” said PCMC health chief Dr Anil Roy.

At the same time, as many as 5,286 citizens have been fined for spitting in public places. An amount of Rs 8.41 lakh has been collected from them as fine.

Besides, action has been taken against as many 45,143 citizens violating norms relating COVID-19.

Manoj Dattatrye More

Manoj Dattatrye More is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, having been with the publication since 1992. Based in Pune, he is a veteran journalist with a 33-year career that spans editorial desk work, investigative reporting, and political analysis. Professional Legacy Experience: He spent his first 16 years on the editorial desk before moving into active field reporting. He has written over 20,000 stories, including more than 10,000 bylined articles. Impact Journalism: He is widely respected for "campaign-style" reporting that leads to tangible social change. Road Safety: His decade-long campaign regarding the dangerous state of the Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki resulted in a ₹23 crore reconstruction project in 2006, which dramatically reduced fatalities. Environmental Protection: His reports against tree cutting on the Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways saved approximately 2,000 trees. Anti-Corruption: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he exposed a scam where doctors were being asked to pay bribes for government jobs, resulting in them being hired without payment. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Manoj More's recent work focuses heavily on the shifting political landscape of Maharashtra and civic governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area: 1. Political Shifts & Alliances "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): A major report on the local self-government election results, detailing the NCP’s stronghold in Baramati, Indapur, and Lonavala. "BJP ropes in 13 ex-corporators, deals major blow to NCP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant political defection in Pimpri-Chinchwad as the BJP gears up for civic polls. "Congress opts for solo BMC run as alliance talks with Sena (UBT) collapse" (Dec 17, 2025): Covering the breakdown of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) talks for the Mumbai civic elections. "NCP(SP)'s Rahul Kalate, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjog Waghere set to join BJP" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing high-profile party-hopping ahead of the municipal elections. 2. Civic & Administrative Accountability "PCMC draws ire for issuing tenders worth Rs 250 crore just before poll code" (Dec 17, 2025): An investigative piece on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s last-minute spending spree before election restrictions. "93 killed in 76 accidents in five years: Bypass service roads in Pune remain undeveloped for 18 yrs" (Nov 16, 2025): A critical look at the long-delayed infrastructure projects contributing to fatalities on Pune’s bypass roads. 3. Social & Labor Issues "As state says TCS has laid off 376 employees: FITE flags figures, say nearly 2,500 were forced to quit" (Dec 11, 2025): Investigating conflicting reports regarding IT sector layoffs in Maharashtra. "Maharashtra govt move to 'downgrade' Aadhaar cards" (Nov 30, 2025): Reporting on the state’s decision to require additional documents alongside Aadhaar to combat identity misuse. Signature Beat Manoj More is the definitive voice on Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub he has covered for three decades. His reporting is characterized by its aggressive stance against local "gondaism" (thuggery) and a relentless focus on civic infrastructure—choked drains, garbage management, and public transport. X (Twitter): @manojmore91982 ... Read More

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