Naidu, one of state’s first dedicated Covid hospitals in Pune, yet to get ICU facility

According to a hospital staffer, before the coronavirus pandemic broke in the city, the hospital did not have an ICU or a ventilator bed, necessary for the treatment of the virus patients.

Pune: Naidu Infectious Diseases Hospital, the only infection control hospital run by Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the first two hospitals in the state to be declared as dedicated for Covid-19 treatment, is yet to be equipped with an ICU facility.

Naidu Infectious Diseases Hospital at Pune. Out of the 41 deaths reported in the city on Sunday [July 19], highest reported so far within 24 hours, Naidu hospital’s count alone was 14. (HT FILE)

According to a hospital staffer, before the coronavirus pandemic broke in the city, the hospital did not have an ICU or a ventilator bed, necessary for the treatment of patients affected by the Sars-Cov-2 virus that causes coronavirus. The hospital upgraded itself with non-invasive ventilators, and critical care beds that are overflowing.

Out of the 41 deaths reported in the city on Sunday [July 19], highest reported so far within 24 hours, Naidu hospital’s count alone was 14. Some of the deaths were registered as outdated as July 14. Of the 976 deaths reported in PMC jurisdiction as of Sunday, 49 are reported from Naidu hospital.

The casualty figure raises questions on the hospital administration’s effectiveness to handle critical patients.

Saurabh Rao, IAS officer on special duty for the administration’s response in fighting Covid-19 said, “We have upgraded PMC’s Dalvi hospital with over 10 invasive ventilators. I need to find out if Naidu requires any invasive ventilators that are needed when non-invasive ventilators do not help critical patients. Out of the 21 ventilators received through PM cares funds, we sent 15 to Sassoon General Hospital and remaining to Dalvi hospital.”

Dr Abhijit More, health activist and member of Jan Arogya Manch, said, “PMC has always ignored to better the civic health infrastructure, be it the swine flu situation in the past or coronavirus outbreak, while private hospitals flourished. While authorities claim to have ramped up medical facilities on war footing to handle the pandemic, civic hospitals lacking crucial equipment to treat critical patients is no less than criminal negligence.”