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Covid review meet: Admin to push for more strict restrictions
PUNE Pune divisional commissioner Saurabh Rao, on Thursday, said more strict restrictions are necessary in the district to slow down the rate of the Covid infection, currently very high
PUNE Pune divisional commissioner Saurabh Rao, on Thursday, said more strict restrictions are necessary in the district to slow down the rate of the Covid infection, currently very high.
Rao asserted that while curbs are necessary, the Pune district administration has also been focusing on increasing the number of beds, and 600 more beds in private hospitals will be made available by April 6.
His remarks assume significance ahead of the Covid review meeting scheduled on Friday, when deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar will be present. Last week, Pawar had warned citizens to follow rules to avoid lockdown, saying he would take call on Friday.
The meeting is likely to discuss whether to impose a complete lockdown or to bring in more curbs in Pune district, which reported 8,600 cases on Wednesday.
“More restrictions are absolutely necessary to slow down the rate of infection. It will be discussed at Friday’s Covid review meeting. We are constantly trying to increase bed capacity. We had the highest numbers of Covid beds in private hospitals on Oct 13, 2020. We want to get those many beds before April 6,” said Rao.
On Thursday, Rao and the PMC officials had a meeting with private hospitals and asked private hospitals to make more beds available. On October 13, 2020, there were 2,134 beds allotted for Covid patients in private hospitals. Whereas on April 1, 2021, 1,423 beds are available in private hospitals.
“Six hundred more beds will be available before April 6. I have spoken with officials from the Southern Command. They have agreed to give us a dedicated Covid hospital,” Rao said.
Even after a month of imposing partial restrictions, Covid cases in Pune have been surging. After the Covid review meeting held last week, Pune guardian minister Ajit Pawar had warned to impose lockdown after April 2nd if the number of Covid cases doesn’t come down. The cases have been surging throughout the week and the availability of beds in hospitals has become an issue. There has been widespread opposition to a lockdown.
“Lockdown is not the solution. Cases are rising but the mortality rate is low. The focus should be on increasing health infrastructure. The economy will collapse again. People are not in a mental state to accept a lockdown. Increasing the number of beds is the solution. Pros and cons of the lockdown have to be weighed,” said Sidharth Shirole, elected representative from Shivajinagar assembly constituency.
On Friday, the Covid review meeting will be conducted at the divisional commissioner’s office in the presence of district and municipal corporation officials, elected representatives and the Pune’s guardian minister, Ajit Pawar.
