COVID-19 Pune: Record 44 deaths in a day puts healthcare services on 'ventilator'

COVID-19 Pune: Record 44 deaths in a day puts healthcare services on 'ventilator'

Pune: Highest number of deaths due to COVID-19 disease in a day were reported on Sunday in the city as 44 patients succumbed to the illness while undergoing treatment on ventilator or oxygen support. The total number of deaths reported in the city so far is 976. While 557 patients are still in critical condition and undergoing treatment, 94 of them are on ventilator support.

The city is already witnessing a shortage of ICU, ventilator and oxygen beds for treatment of patients in critical or serious conditions, and with this number of casualties in a single day has created panic amongst citizens.

The patients who succumbed to the disease on Sunday were from the age group of 39 to 50 years and were having other illnesses before they were diagnosed with COVID-19. Earlier on June 2, the city had reported 25 deaths in a single day, but Sunday's (July 19) count was almost double of the earlier single-day record.

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has increased the number of daily tests conducted for COVID-19. On Sunday a total of 3,815 tests were conducted and 1508 persons were diagnosed as COVID-19 positive. The active cases in the city were 13,799.

Given the shortage of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds, PMC had arranged for 24 such beds from three private hospitals on Saturday. Another 36 ICU and oxygen beds from four private hospitals and 50 ICU beds from Sassoon hospital will be available for treating critical COVID-19 patients in the city from Tuesday (July 21) onward.

Despite augmenting the capacity, there is a 'waiting list' for patients to avail these hospital beds as the number of critical patients needing them has also increased. Those patients who are not able to get ICU or ventilator support have been temporarily put on oxygen support and admitted in small private hospitals or getting treatment at home.

Edited by:
Khevna Pandit

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