Pune’s Jumbo COVID hospital reopens amid surge in new cases
Pune: Amid the sudden spurt in the spread of COVID-19 infection, the Pune administration on Monday reopened the jumbo COVID hospital situated at the College of Engineering Pune Ground. After the resumption of the hospital on Monday, 13 patients admitted to the facility. The PMC (Pune Municipal Corporation) is also planning to increase the bed capacity to 500 within one week after the city is observing a sharp rise in new cases.
On Monday, Mayor Murlidhar Mohol, Municipal Commissioner Vikram Kumar and Additional Municipal Commissioner Rubal Agarwal visited the facility to take a review before it was opened for admitting patients.
Pune Mayor Murlidhar Mohol said, “There is no shortage of beds. However, the PMC is taking special care to set up beds for the treatment of patients. 800 beds will be made available here. Also, oxygenated and ICU beds will be placed. The administration has also asked private hospitals to increase their capacity for treatment of COVID-19 patients.”
Meanwhile, Pune city (Pune Municipal Corporation) on Monday witnessed 2,342 new COVID-19 cases while 15 people lost their lives amid the novel virus. The total cases in the city on Monday stood at 2,37,736. On the positive front, 1,789 people were given discharged from the various hospitals of the city taking the progressive count of recoveries to 2,09,606.
On the other side, amid the surge in the spread of COVID-19 infection, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Monday stated that vaccination against the novel virus can now take place at hospitals with even more than 20 beds, shifting from the rule that permitted vaccinations only at hospitals with more than 100 beds.
This came after the state crossed the mark of 25 lakh COVID cases on Monday. So far 45 lakh people have been vaccinated in Maharashtra, informed Tope. He also said that three lakh people are inoculated in Maharashtra every day and arrangements are ongoing for people to get vaccinated easily.
"With the increase in the number of cases, we will have to be ready. We will have to activate our Jumbo COVID-19 centres also," Rajesh Tope said.