Unless PMC scales up health facilities, shortage of ICU beds, ventilators likely by June 30

Hospitals and facilities run by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to treat Covid-19 patients are likely to fall short by over 100 ICU beds and over 100 ventilators by June-end, when the number of patients in Pune is estimated to reach almost 23,000. The PMC’s own report has predicted that the number of patients is […]

Hospitals and facilities run by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to treat Covid-19 patients are likely to fall short by over 100 ICU beds and over 100 ventilators by June-end, when the number of patients in Pune is estimated to reach almost 23,000.

The PMC’s own report has predicted that the number of patients is expected to be 22,940 by June 30, with 9,743 of them ‘active’ patients. Going by an estimated percentage of critical patients, as many as 487 patients are expected to require ICU beds and 244 will need ventilators, but the PMC may not have enough of either by June 30.

Facilities run by the civic body currently have a total of 271 ICU beds and 137 ventilators, and they will be unable to accommodate 487 ICU patients and 244 who will need ventilator support by June 30.

“The PMC can manage the treatment of patients… given the current growth rate and available facilities, till June 17, but it would have to scale up the facility specially for critical patients after that. Even the number of ICU beds may fall short marginally by June 17 if the growth rate of patients remains the same,” said a PMC official.