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Staff shortage, poor coordination: Pune’s jumbo Covid facility invites patients’ wrath
The facility, set up on August 23, has 600 oxygenated and 200 ICU beds.
If 42-year-old journalist Pandurang Raykar’s death highlighted lack of coordination on part of administration, it also underlined inconvenience being faced by patients in delayed treatment, no response from centre and poor food.
Ganesh Punalkar, whose father is undergoing treatment at Jumbo facility located at College of Engineering, Pune, (COEP), said he has no clue about health status of father.
“My father is admitted from the last four days at Jumbo Covid hospital and we are trying to contact him on his mobile phone. But it’s battery is discharged. Even reception desk at the Covid centre is not giving proper information,” said Punalkar.
From shortage of doctors and inadequate equipment, to lack of coordination, the newly set up Jumbo facility has invited wrath from many patients and their relatives.
Ashish Mane, social activist said, “One of my friends and his father both are Covid positive. Father is admitted at jumbo facility but for the last four days there has been no communication with him. Even the family members do not know his health status.”
Set up on August 23, Jumbo facility has 600 oxygenated and 200 ICU beds. However even after 10 days, the facility is still not equipped with adequate number of doctors and medical staff. “It is a sad truth that despite ample time, administration has not been able to recruit adequate number of doctors and equipments here,” said Pune MP Girish Bapat.
Lifeline hospital Management, which was responsible for recruitment of medico manpower and running the facility denied the charges that doctors and nurses are short staffed.
Sujit Patkar, one of the partner at Lifeline hospital Management said, “There is enough manpower in the jumbo facility. Manpower is enough and as per planned phase deployment.”
Amit Bagul, congress party’s city unit secretary said, “Jumbo facility is the worst. There are many complaints about food and admission. Though it has 800 capacity, hardly 30 percent of patients are there. I have phone records where the doctors from the jumbo facility are accepting that the ventilators are not installed yet. Even many issues in ICU wards. As the infrastructure work is not completed the hospital is showing that there is zero vacancy.”
Bharatiya Janata Party’s city unit president Jagdish Mulik heavily came down on the Maha Vikas Aghadi over the jumbo facility. Mulik said, “State government did hurry in the inauguration of the jumbo hospital. The agency should announce how much manpower, doctors, nurses are provided for the facility till date. The government machineries did not have any control over the jumbo facility and it is run by private organisation.”