The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has spent at least Rs 31.83 crore in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, this expenditure includes setting up of Covid-19 care centres, cleaning and maintenance, patient-related expenditure in hospitals and also food expenses related to patients and quarantined citizens.
With an increasing number of Covid-19 cases rising on a daily basis, the civic body is now looking at strengthening the health budget in the next five years to strengthen the overall health infrastructure in the city.
According to Pune municipal commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad, the civic body will henceforth, prioritise health budget over other less important projects at least for the next five years.
“The civic body has spent about Rs 31.83 crore as of yet, which is only the actual amount spent, this number may go up to Rs 60 crore if the bills are disbursed and the amount is settled,” Gaikwad said.
“We have incurred a huge expenditure and are spending almost Rs 200 per day per person on food and so for 14 days, this cost becomes around Rs 2,800 per person. This is for all those isolated and undergoing treatment at hospitals and also those who are quarantined. This is a huge expenditure especially considering that there is reduced income,” he added
Gaikwad believes that the central government must come up with a directive enforcing all municipal councils and corporations to reserve at least 5 to 10 per cent of their annual budget especially for health in strengthening government hospitals.
{{/usCountry}}Gaikwad believes that the central government must come up with a directive enforcing all municipal councils and corporations to reserve at least 5 to 10 per cent of their annual budget especially for health in strengthening government hospitals.
{{/usCountry}}“I cannot give an exact figure as of now, but at the time of preparing the budget, we will keep these things in mind. Medical equipment like ventilators, ICU facilities, and better hospital infrastructure is expensive. We may have to prioritise health and postpone less important projects like gardens or minor ward level works,” Gaikwad said.
The civic body has spent about Rs 31 crore as of yet only for Covid-19 since the first case was detected on March 9. A maximum chunk of this amount has been spent on treatment at hospitals (Rs 10 crore), followed by Rs 7 crore on purchases made by the central department which includes personal protection equipment (PPE) kits, masks, oxygen pipelines, medical equipment and instruments.
The cleaning and maintenance of Covid-19 care centres has cost Rs 4 crore and Rs 3 crore has been spent on electrical equipment. The food expenses related to patients and quarantined citizens has also cost Rs 4 crore.
In addition, the civic body has proposed 12 lakh cotton masks and a work order has been issued, 3.89 lakh cotton masks have already been distributed. The recruitment of doctors and paramedical staff is in process and a total of 1,017 applications have been received out of which scrutiny process is completed and 497 candidates will be recruited for a period of three months.
From the mayor’s funds, as of May 15, medical equipment and instruments along with medicines of worth Rs 56 lakh for Covid-19 patients has been purchased, cold fogging machines and spraying pumps worth Rs 35 lakh has been purchased for spraying of sodium hypochlorite in the vicinity of positive cases.
An oxygen pipeline and industrial washing machine has also been installed at Naidu Hospital to support patients, building modifications and maintenance work of various quarantine centres and Covid-19 care centres is being done on an emergency basis.
N-95 masks, PPE Kits and sanitisers worth Rs 63 lakh have been purchased and under DPDC pulse oxymeter, thermometers, PPE kits, N-95 masks, thermal guns worth Rs. 1 crore have been procured.