COVID-19 Pune: Administration to counsel 40 per cent mild symptomatic patients to vacate beds and opt for home quarantine

COVID-19 Pune: Administration to counsel 40 per cent mild symptomatic patients to vacate beds and opt for home quarantine

Pune: The district administration has decided to counsel 40 per cent of COVID-19 patients who have mild symptoms to vacate the oxygen beds and opt for home quarantine based treatment. If these patients are shifted, then patients with serious conditions can be accommodated in various hospitals of the city.

Divisional Commissioner Dr Deepak Mhaisekar has instructed health officials to identify patients who are stable and recovering from mild symptoms of COVID-19. Dr Mhaisekar was addressing an online meeting organized by Sudhir Mehta of ‘Pune Platform for COVID-19’ on the issue of the current situation of Covid-19 in Pune city and responsibilities of private hospitals. Dr Mhaisekar along with Special Officer Saurabh Rao, District Collector Naval Kishor Ram, Pune Municipal Commissioner Vikram Kumar and Additional Municipal Commissioner Rubal Agrawal and directors of private hospitals in the city participated in the meeting.

Participants of the meeting agreed that the city administration will have to combat the Covid-19 epidemic crisis for a year or more. Dr Mhaisekar said, “Private hospitals should also brace for the evolving situation. More efforts need to be done to increase ventilators and oxygen beds in the city. Private hospitals should give accurate information that can be displayed on the Covid-19 dashboard. We have also contacted health universities and medical colleges to increase the number of doctors and nurse staff available for the treatment of patients.” The mortality rate in Solapur and Satara is higher and that is a major reason why patients from these two districts are coming for treatment in Pune, Mhaisekar added.

Collector Ram said that the administration has received several complaints about private hospitals charging exorbitant amounts for treatment of COVID patients. “Even if a patient is admitted at 9 am in the morning and discharged at 5 pm evening, hospitals are charging Rs 25 thousand from them. Incidents like these should not happen,” said Ram. There are enough hospital beds available in the city but their management has become a critical job, he added.

Dr Dhananjay Kelkar of Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital said, “We have started accommodating two patients in a single private room. The number of connections to the oxygen supply units have also been increased.”

Parvez Grant of Ruby Hall Clinic said, “We have a 70-bed hospital ready in Hinjawadi but we are facing a problem of accommodation facilities for nurses. Officials should help us solve this problem.”

ADMINISTRATION SAYS

  • Private hospitals should reserve at least 50 beds for COVID patients.
  • Give primary treatment to patients instead of denying admission.
  • Focus on an increasing number of hospital beds for COVID patients.
  • Don’t charge exorbitant amounts to COVID patients.
  • Make free treatment available for poor patients.

HOSPITALS SAY

  • A large number of patients arriving are from outside Pune.
  • Government-approved rates for ventilator beds are very less.
  • Nurses and technical staff shortage persists.
  • COVID-19 medicine supply shortage.

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