Pune: Mayor Murlidhar Mohol resumed his office in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Monday (July 20) and promised citizens that he will make the proposed 800-bed hospital at Balewadi functional in the next 15 days. Mohol also said that more oxygen beds will be made available for patients in serious conditions so that the death rate is reduced further.

Mohol is a Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator from Kothrud who took charge as Mayor in November 2019. He had tested positive for Covid-19 on July 4 and was admitted to a private hospital for treatment.

He was discharged from the hospital on July 9 and was advised by the doctors to stay at home in quarantine up to July 15. Mohol's work during the Covid-19 crisis from day one was appreciated by Nationalist Congress Party leader and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in front of party Chief Sharad Pawar.

Mohol took review of the situation and measures taken by PMC for containing the Covid-19 outbreak. Deputy Mayor Saraswati Shendge, Leader of the House in PMC Dheeraj Ghate, Corporator Ajay Khedekar, Sushil Mengde, Anand Rithe, PMC Commissioner Vikram Kumar, Additional Commissioner Rubal Agrawal, Shantanu Goyal were present for the review meeting.

Mohol said, "We are arranging for 630 beds - including ICU and ventilator beds - in Sassoon general hospital and additional 125 ICU and 100 oxygen beds will be available from private and civic hospitals in a week. Also, with the help of Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA), the proposed temporary hospital at Balewadi will be made functional in the coming days. The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, PMC, PMRDA and state government will bear expenses for this hospital. This hospital will have 200 ICU beds and 600 oxygen beds."

"The PMC will make arrangements for 10 per cent oxygen beds in all Covid Care Centres in the city. So by August 3, PMC will add 600 oxygen beds to its present capacity," Mohol claimed.