Premium
This is an archive article published on April 8, 2021

Pune Municipal Corporation reserves six private hospitals only for Covid patients

The municipal commissioner said private hospitals in the city had cooperated in the past and are doing so now as well.

Pune news, Pune covid-19, covid-19 Pune news, Covid hospital Pune bed, Pune covid beds, Pune hospital covid beds, indian express news“The PMC is further trying to increase the number of beds for Covid patients and will have a total of 8,300 beds in one week,” said Kumar.

Struggling to meet the bed requirement for hospitalising critical Covid-19 patients in the city, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to reserve six private hospitals completely for treatment of Covid patients, as well as take over ESI hospital and get 40 beds of Army Hospital.

“The PMC has witnessed a big surge in Covid-19 patients in the last two months. The number of active patients in the city was 1,250 on February 12, which is now over 46,000. The civic administration has been working hard to ensure beds for treatment of needy Covid-19 patients and has increased the bed strength by more than double in the last 15 days,” said Municipal Commissioner Vikram Kumar.

He said the PMC had 3,300 beds on March 21, including 2,200 oxygen and 290 ventilator beds. The bed capacity has been increased to 7,500 beds, including 4,800 oxygen beds and 551 ventilator beds in the city now.


“The PMC is further trying to increase the number of beds for Covid patients and will have a total of 8,300 beds in one week,” said Kumar.

The municipal commissioner said private hospitals in the city had cooperated in the past and are doing so now as well. “The PMC had issued directives to reserve 80 per cent of total operational beds for treatment of Covid-19 patients in big private hospitals. Now, the civic administration has declared six private hospitals as Covid hospitals…,” Kumar said, adding that ESI Hospital, with 150 beds, would be taken over completely by PMC for treatment of Covid-19 patients while the Army Hospital is also providing 40 ICU beds.

“If need be, more private hospitals would be converted completely for treating only Covid-19 patients,” he said, adding that the civic administration was tracking the bed situation daily.

Of ESI Hospital’s 150 beds, 70 are oxygen beds and 20 ICU beds. The 40 beds of Army Hospital will include 20 ventilator beds and 20 ICU beds.

Story continues below this ad

Kumar said the PMC will have 50 more ventilator beds in next five days, which includes 20 from the Army Hospital and remaining from various civic hospitals and private hospitals.

There are 400 oxygen beds vacant in the city and 350 more oxygen beds will be added in the next few days for Covid-19 patients, said the civic chief.

At present, 6,500 patients are hospitalised with 550 on ventilator and 4,000 on oxygen. The helpline for beds is receiving around 600 calls for beds every day and the PMC is doing everything possible to handle the situation, said Kumar. “The helplines have been increased from one to 10 to enable citizens to contact the civic body faster,” he said when it was pointed out that the helplines are constantly busy.

– Stay updated with the latest Pune news. Follow Express Pune on Twitter here and on Facebook here. You can also join our Express Pune Telegram channel here.

Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, Pune, a role that reflects his seniority and editorial Authority. He is a highly specialized journalist whose work demonstrates significant Expertise in the critical areas of urban development, governance, and sustainability, often linking policy to its on-the-ground impact across Maharashtra. Expertise Senior Editorial Role: As an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, Ajay Jadhav contributes to the editorial direction and maintains high standards of Trustworthiness and quality in his reporting. Core Specialization: His reporting focuses intensely on the intersection of infrastructure, politics, and social development, with expertise in: Infrastructure and Civic Issues: Provides in-depth coverage of crucial development and urban governance topics. His work includes reporting on the glaring contrast between planned infrastructure projects (like private helipads) and the lack of basic facilities (schools and hospitals) in politically significant areas, highlighting accountability gaps. Politics and Governance: Consistently reports on political developments, scrutinizing decision-making that affects public life and development initiatives in Maharashtra. Sustainable Development & Environment: Demonstrates a commitment to responsible development by reporting on initiatives that successfully protect the environment while ensuring essential infrastructure development. Investigative and Policy Impact: National Impact: Ajay has written notable research articles on Conservancy staff which achieved a nationwide impact by directly contributing to the framing of policies aimed at improving the working conditions of waste-handling laborers. This demonstrates his capacity for impactful, evidence-based journalism. Additional Interests Personal Engagement: His background as a trekker and sports enthusiast suggests a keen personal interest in the environment and outdoor spaces, which likely informs his detailed and passionate reporting on sustainable development and civic issues. Ajay Jadhav's sustained focus on governance, his track record of high-impact policy-shaping research, and his critical eye for infrastructure gaps establish him as a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis in Pune and Maharashtra. ... Read More


Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories

Latest Comment
Post Comment
Read Comments
Advertisement
Loading Taboola...
Advertisement