Pune: Private hospitals to dedicate 80 percent beds for COVID19 patients

Mehab Qureshi

Pune, May 31, 2020: The Maharashtra state government acknowledging the possibility of a further increase in the number of patients in June has decided to dedicate 80 percent of the private hospital beds for COVID-19 patients.

This order was issued on May 21, which reveals that this will provide the facility of 12500 beds in Pune. Subsequently, the Pune Municipal corporation (PMC) had sought this information from the hospitals. Also, PMC has invoked MESMA to avail services of private doctors and nurses in the fight against COVID19.

Meanwhile, after the government’s order, the municipal corporation had sought information from about 700 private hospitals in the city about the bed facilities they have. Accordingly, about 12,553 beds will be available soon. For this, all the private hospitals have been contacted, and the process of taking possession of these beds has started by signing an agreement with them, informed Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad.

The first COVID-19 patient was found on March 9 in the city. Since then, the total number of victims has gone up to 6,000, while the actual number of active cases is 2,500. However, the municipal corporation has estimated that considering the doubling of morbidity in the city, by the end of June, there will be about 23,000 patients in the city, of which only 5500 will be in the hospital.