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Courtesy- The Indian Express
The Indian Express reported on Thursday edition that Pune’s first Covid Care Centre in a residential housing society has come up in Chinchwad area in PCMC limits. The 40-bed centre will admit patients with mild symptoms or those who are asymptomatic.
Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Commissioner Shravan Hardikar said, “It is the first Covid Care Centre set up in Pimpri-Chinchwad as per the Government of India’s guidenines. It is for the society members”.
PMC health chief Ramchandra Hankare said, “PMC has so far not given permission for setting up COVID Care Centre in residential soceites. “Our COVID Care Centres are in schoolsand college building, civic buildings.”
Zilla Parishad CEO Ayush Prasad told the newspaper that in rural areas, COVID Care Centres in residential societies have not been sanctioned.
The Covid Care Centre was inaugurated at Queens Town Society which is located near Lokmanya Hospital in Chinchwad. It was inaugurated by PCMC Deputy Municipal Commissioner Ajit Pawar on Wednesday
The newspaper quoted Ajit Pawar, “COVID has generated fear among the people. Probably that’s why people die more of cardiac arrest generated by stress. An awareness needs to be created in the society regarding the facts of COVID 19 and counselling of the patients and their relatives is of utmost importance Such isolation centres will help in calming down the patients.
The idea of the project was first mooted by Dr. Vijay Satav, Sujit Patil, society chairman and Eugene Waradkar, treasurer.
Shirish Pordedi, secretary of the society, said,”We have 719 flats and 14 buildings. So far, we have had 26 COVID positive patients. Of these, currently there are only four active cases.” Poredhi is executive engineeer with PCMC.
The idea to set up the centre gained momentum, after the society members held discussions among themselves. “It was observed that some society members were worried that they might get infected if an asymptomatic patient is allowed to stay home. The PCMC has allowed asymptomatic patients who have toilet and bathroom facility to stay home. Many of our flats have additional bathroom and toilet facilities. But in view of the concern expressed by society members, it was decided to set up a COVID Care Centre for asymptomatic patients within our society premises,” he said, adding that it was the first such initiative by residential members in Pimpri-Chinchwad.
The society has coverted three halls into the isolation centre. “One hall was a community hall where male patients will be housed. Two halls had snooker and table tennis facilities. In both these halls, we will have female asymptomatic patients,” he said.
The society which has 20 doctors as members have appointed a full-time doctor at the COVID Care Centre. “Besides, there will be two specialist doctors who will remain on call,” Poredhi said.
As of Thursday, the centre had 10 beds. “As patients start coming in, we will have full 40 beds,” he said. “The centre is wel-equipped with medical equipment like pulse oximeter and BP machine,” he said.
He said centre meets the all requirements like providing the patients with consent forms, providing items such as masks, surgical gloves, steamer, PPE, hand washing liquid soap bottles, proper lighting, -ventilation, ceiling fand and
Functional telephone system, mobile charging point for providing communications. “Besides,
food, snacks, recreation facilities,
laundry services, sanitation services:
ambulance facility 24 x 7 will be providee,” said Dr Satav.
In future, the society also plans to have oxygenated beds. “In case the situation come to that, we will also have oxygen beds which will help the society members avoid the nightmare of searching for a hospital bed across the city,” Poredhi said.
Inputs from India One News
