Pune’s Covid cases fall but shortage of ambulances, Remdesivir worry residents

Pune is among the worst-affected urban areas in the world and has the highest number of active cases in the country.

Pune reported a slight dip in the number of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases on Monday as the district recorded 9621 infections, data showed. Pune recorded a dip of 2756 cases after the district reported 12,377 cases on Sunday. The Covid-19 tally in the district reached 658,014 with the additional new cases on Monday. The district currently has 99,806 active cases of Covid-19.

A man walks along a deserted street during a weekend lockdown imposed by the state government amidst rising Covid-19 coronavirus cases, in Pune. ( AFP)

Pune is among the worst-affected by Covid-19 in the state and was accounting for 12% of the total cases reported nationwide towards the beginning of April. Pune is also one of the worst-affected urban areas in the world and has the highest number of active cases in the country.

Pune, which is among the 10 districts contributing to India’s daily rise in Covid-19 cases, recorded 8151 recoveries taking the number of recovered to 547,851. The death toll in Pune reached 10,796 after 86 fresh fatalities were reported in the district. The positivity rate in Pune on Sunday was at 28.39% compared to 41% reported on April 4.

The drop in the number of Covid-19 cases in Pune can be attributed to the imposition of strict curbs implemented on April 3.

However, the medical infrastructure in the district is struggling to cope with the rising Covid-19 cases. The high-level public health team deployed by the Centre in Pune flagged the lack of ambulances as well as highlighted issues with medical oxygen supply. Pune currently has only 65 ambulances. The district is also reeling under a shortage of anti-viral drug Remdesivir. Though the city received over 6,000 doses of Remdesivir in the evening, several people protested outside medicine shops demanding the anti-viral drug for the relatives and friends who have contracted Covid-19.

“We have distributed 6,000 doses of Remdesivir received on Monday. Each district in Maharashtra gets its share from the state according to hospitalised patients. Pune gets about 13-14% of the injections which the state gets,” Dinesh Khivasara, assistant commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told HT.

Despite this, several small hospitals did not receive Remdesivir stocks.