PMRDA proposes to establish 800-bed hospital in 20 days to tackle rising Covid cases
PMRDA metropolitan commissioner Suhas Diwase and PMRDA chief engineer Vivek Kharwadkar are in charge of creating the facility.
The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has floated an expression of interest to create an 800-bed Covid-19 hospital for Pune city. Of it, 600 will be oxygenated beds, while 200 will be intensive care unit (ICU) beds.
PMRDA plans to establish the hospital within 20 days and has proposed the Balewadi sports complex as it site of construction, but added, that it can be shifted to any other suitable location. The number of patients in critical care is 589 among the 44,065 progressive positive cases in the city as of July 23.
Saurabh Rao, IAS officer on special duty for the administration’s response in fighting Covid-19, said, “As the Covid-19 cases are increasing in the city and maximum critical patients require oxygen support and other ICU facilities, the administration has decided to create the jumbo facility. Once the work order is given, the facility will be ready within fifteen days.”
PMRDA metropolitan commissioner Suhas Diwase and PMRDA chief engineer Vivek Kharwadkar are in charge of creating the facility.
Kharwadkar said, “The facility is not just any other Covid care centre, as it will be like a hospital where all the critical patients can be admitted. The hospital will have 800 beds of which 600 are oxygen supported and 200 are ICU beds. As per the expression of interest, the authority concerned will need to erect this facility within 20 days from the date of work order.”
Kharwadkar said, “In the expression of interest, we mentioned the place at Balewadi, but it can be established at any other suitable place. PMRDA would finalise the place. The last date for submission is July 27. The hospital will have to be operational for six months.”
“With the help of Pune Municipal Corporation and Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) soon we will be developing a 1,000-bed jumbo Covid facility at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi or College of Engineering, Pune ground (COEP). There will be 200 ICU beds and 800 oxygen beds,” said Shravan Hardikar, Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal commissioner.
In the last 10 days, the PCMC civic body has taken many important decisions to control the spread of Covid in the city.
“We have added 10 more hospitals in the Covid fold and the Covid care centres have also started in four hotels. 2,000 more beds have been added for Covid patients,” added Hardikar.
The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) is also in the process of creating a 500 oxygen bed centre at Balnagari, Bhosari in the coming month.
“The PCMC has also floated a tender of doctors so we will be getting additional doctors while Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital (YCMH) will be getting 30 ICU beds and 120 oxygen beds. 100 oxygen beds in combine will be provided to Bhosari and Jijamata Hospital.”
(With inputs from Jigar Hindocha)