E-Paper
Ahmednagar’s Covid surge adding to Pune’s health infra burden
The increase in the number of Covid cases in Ahmednagar implies an additional burden on health infrastructure facilities in Pune
PUNE: Pune’s neighbouring district and also the largest in the state – Ahmednagar (Nagar) – is now reporting an alarming number of new Covid-19 cases, possibly due to Covid-19 inappropriate behaviour and increased interaction during festivities. On Monday, Nagar reported 347 new Covid-19 cases. Currently, it has the third highest number of active cases after Pune and Mumbai. The increase in the number of cases in the neighbouring district implies an additional burden on health infrastructure facilities in Pune.
During a Covid-19 review meeting on Friday, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said that the increase in number of Covid-19 cases in Ahmednagar means additional pressure on tertiary care hospitals in Pune. “At least 40% of the patients admitted at B J Medical college hail from Ahmednagar.”
According to Ahmednagar civil surgeon Dr Sunil Pokharna however, the current situation is much better than what it was a few days ago. “A few weeks ago, Ahmednagar was reporting more than 600 new Covid-19 cases but now as per the state health department, the numbers have come down to less than 400 new cases daily. We have found that this can be attributed to inappropriate Covid-19 behaviour by people who refuse to wear masks or follow sanitation rules or even social distancing. They hide their medical history or even when they test positive for Covid-19. What we see as of now is the thick tail of the second wave which has not yet receded completely in Ahmednagar district,” Dr Pokharna said.
Rajendra Bhosale, district collector of Ahmednagar, said, “The recent surge in absolute numbers could also be because of the increased number of tests we have conducted. We have carried out up to 15,000 tests daily which led to reporting of more cases. Increased interaction among people during festivities could have also resulted in the rise in numbers.” As per Bhosale’s latest order, about 61 villages in the district have been declared as containment zones to avoid any further surge in numbers. Dr Pokharna said, “We have strict instructions from the district collector to ensure that there is no spurt in numbers and also to bring current numbers down from three to two digits. Hence, these measures have been taken. However, the situation is much better than what it was earlier.” Dr Pokharna further said that to increase their tertiary care strength, the hospital is now converting non-intensive care unit (ICU) beds into ICU beds.
As of Tuesday, Ahmednagar has 4,280 active cases, which is the third highest with Pune and Mumbai reporting the highest and second-highest number of cases at 8,593 and 6,161, respectively. One of the reasons for the drop in number of new cases in Pune and most other cities has been the increased rate of vaccination. As per state figures, Ahmednagar has an estimated 3,321,684 population above 18 years of age. A total 2,114,176 beneficiaries (63.64%) have got their first dose while 734,875 beneficiaries (22%) have got their second dose.
