Jumbo Covid centres to be dismantled; health infra shifted to government hospitals
Pune: Four months into operations, the state administration has decided to remove health equipment from the two Jumbo Covid facilities in Pune district – the College of Engineering Pune and the Annasaheb Magar stadium at Bhosari
Pune: Four months into operations, the state administration has decided to remove health equipment from the two Jumbo Covid facilities in Pune district – the College of Engineering Pune and the Annasaheb Magar stadium at Bhosari.
The jumbo centres will eventually be dismantled next month as the contract for the facility ends on February 6.
The divisional commissioner has asked for a committee comprising officials from Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, along with Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) to ensure proper distribution of health infrastructure, such as beds, ventilators and oxygen cylinders from the two giant facilities, which are already closed since mid-January.
As per the orders, the committee, comprising health officials from PMC, PCMC, the district health department and Sassoon, along with PMRDA officials, will be formed to decide how to distribute the health equipment and beds currently lying unused at the Jumbo centres.
Additional municipal commissioner Rubal Agrawal said, “The committee is being formed to decide how the medical equipment and other health infrastructure elsewhere.”
The equipment is most likely to be used in Sassoon and other civic, as well as government-run hospitals.
{{/usCountry}}The equipment is most likely to be used in Sassoon and other civic, as well as government-run hospitals.
{{/usCountry}}The CoEP facility, which had 800 beds, was made operational during last week of August though it never operated at capacity.
{{/usCountry}}The CoEP facility, which had 800 beds, was made operational during last week of August though it never operated at capacity.
{{/usCountry}}The Annasaheb Magar facility with an 800-bed capacity came in September although it could not be utilised fully due to few patients.
{{/usCountry}}The Annasaheb Magar facility with an 800-bed capacity came in September although it could not be utilised fully due to few patients.
{{/usCountry}}As the Covid tally also came down drastically by December, the administration decided to shut down both facilities this month.
{{/usCountry}}As the Covid tally also came down drastically by December, the administration decided to shut down both facilities this month.
{{/usCountry}}The government spent ₹100 crore on each facility.
{{/usCountry}}The government spent ₹100 crore on each facility.
{{/usCountry}}According to Agrawal, the contract for COEP Jumbo facility is coming to an end on February 6. Officials said it is unlikely to be extended further.
{{/usCountry}}According to Agrawal, the contract for COEP Jumbo facility is coming to an end on February 6. Officials said it is unlikely to be extended further.
{{/usCountry}}Covid care facility
Two jumbo Covid centres erected in the city one at PMC and the other in PCMC
Both Covid centres have a capacity of 800 beds each.
Each centre has 200 ICU beds and with ventilator, and 600 oxygen beds
Maharashtra government, PMRDA, PMC and PCMC together set up the jumbo centres
After the death of journalist Pandurang Raikar, the jumbo facilities came in for a lot of criticism