Pune administration serves notice to agency operating jumbo COVID-19 facility over lapses, mismanagement

Pune: The Pune district administration has served notice to an agency operating a newly-created COVID-19 jumbo hospital for alleged lapses and mismanagement at the facility, an official said. Another agency has now been roped in to improve facilities at the hospital, set up in the premises of the College of Engineering in Maharashtra, Pune divisional commissioner Saurabh Rao said on Monday. Last week, a news channel journalist died at jumbo medical facility. His family members alleged that he did not get a cardiac ambulance in time. Following his death, there were allegations about mismanagement at the jumbo hospital. “We have not yet completely replaced the agency operating the facility, but have served notice to it after some lapses were observed. In the meantime, another agency has started working to improve things at the facility,” Rao said. Talking about issues at the hospital, he said it was set up as the number of COVID-19 cases were rising in Pune. “The Sassoon General Hospital had some technical issue at the same time which prompted it to reduce its beds equipped with ventilator and oxygen support. Due to this, the number of patients at this newly-created facility suddenly increased and that overburdened the system,” Rao said. Meanwhile, a senior official from the agency which has been served notice claimed that many doctors and nurses quit the facility after a sudden rise in the number of patients there. However, Rao said there is no shortage of medical staff and medicines at the facility. Til Monday, Pune district reported 1,97,286 COVID-19 cases and 4,651 deaths due to the disease.