Covid 19 in Pune : State wide mock drill conducted in Pune to assess COVID-19 preparedness
Pune: A state-wide mock drill was conducted to assess the city’s preparedness in handling the ongoing COVID-19 situation. The drill was conducted to check the availability of oxygen beds, COVID beds, ICU beds, and ventilators in hospitals, and to ensure that the testing facilities at hospitals were up to the mark.
According to Bhagwan Pawar, head of the health department at PMC, out of the 409 active COVID cases in Pune, 95% of the patients are receiving treatment at home, with only 27 patients admitted to hospitals.
He reassured the public that there was no severity of COVID-19 cases and the situation was under control, with medical staff and authorities taking necessary precautions at their respective places.
Dr. Naresh Zanjad, Acting Dean of a local hospital, stated that officials from the State Health Department were present during the mock drill to assess the capacity of oxygen beds, ventilator beds, ICU beds, and oxygen plants in Pune. The testing facilities for RT PCR and RAT tests were also checked, along with the availability of manpower to manage the COVID-19 patients.
Dr. Zanjad further mentioned that Sassoon hospital currently has 117 beds reserved for COVID-19 patients, with 50 doctors and 100 nurses working round the clock to provide dedicated care to those affected by the virus.
In addition to assessing the facilities and resources available in hospitals, authorities also emphasized the importance of citizens taking the precautionary dose of COVID-19 vaccines. While citizens have received the first and second doses of vaccines, there is less awareness about the precautionary dose. PMC has reportedly demanded additional stocks of Covishield and Covaxin to meet the demand for precautionary doses.
The mock drill was conducted to ensure that Pune is well-prepared to handle any untoward incidents related to COVID-19 and to reinforce the need for citizens to follow all precautionary measures, including getting vaccinated and taking necessary precautions even after receiving the complete vaccine doses.
