Following a series of complaints about the jumbo facility in Pune, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar held meetings with the administration and party leaders from the city and raised concerns about the recently set up Covid centre.
His meeting comes in the wake of NCP and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar being targeted for alleged “mismanagement” at the jumbo facility, set up after spending ₹84 crore.
The 800-bed facility currently operating at the capacity of 400 beds at the College of Engineering Pune (COEP) at Shivajinagar has been inviting criticism as patients have complained about poor food quality, shortage of medical staff and medicines.
Pawar during the meeting with Pune divisional commissioner Saurabh Rao on Friday afternoon expressed unhappiness about the management of the facility, said an official requesting anonymity. Rao, despite numerous attempts, could not be reached on phone and text messages remained unanswered.
Later, during a meeting with party leaders, Pawar asked party workers from the city to help people get timely medical help, Vandana Chavan, NCP Rajya Sabha MP, said.
“The NCP chief expressed his concerns over the mismanagement at the jumbo facility at COEP ground,” she said. The facility has come in the eye of the storm after the death of a journalist, which was preceded by two more people dying due to delayed treatment.
{{/usCountry}}“The NCP chief expressed his concerns over the mismanagement at the jumbo facility at COEP ground,” she said. The facility has come in the eye of the storm after the death of a journalist, which was preceded by two more people dying due to delayed treatment.
{{/usCountry}}“Took review of Covid pandemic situation in Pune from Vandana Chavan and Amol Kolhe,” Pawar later tweeted.
PMC chief blames manpower crunch
Due to a manpower crunch, the civic administration had to stop admitting patients at the jumbo hospital, said PMC commissioner Vikram Kumar.
Taking cognisance of the complaints from patients, Kumar has served show-cause notices to the agencies operating the facility.
“We have stopped the admission of patients at the jumbo Covid-19 hospital as of now,” Kumar said.