Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope has said that there is a dearth of doctors in Pune even after the government announced a package of Rs 2.25 lakh per month.
Addressing a press conference Sunday evening, Tope said, "Pune needs 213 doctors.
Despite offering a package of 2 lakh 25 thousand per month, doctors didnt apply.
So we are going to start fresh recruitment process."Rajesh Tope on Sunday evening held a long meeting with senior doctors of state-run Sassoon General Hospital.
All Senior officials of Pune Division, Pune Collectorate, Pune Municipal Corporation, PCMC corporation were present at the meeting which was held at the Sassoon Hospital Dean office.A decision was taken to immediately increase oxygen capacity, a number of doctors, ICU beds capacity and tele ICU facility thru out the state.Tope said the major issue in Pune is the number of beds.
"In Pune, the major issue is of beds.
I am going to be in Pune for two days.
I will be visiting various facilities and will also be taking a meeting with the owners of trust hospitals.
All private hospitals with huge capacity will be there in the meeting.
We are also visiting oxygen plants.""Currently there are 450 beds in Sassoon General Hospital.
We are going to increase that to 850.
The number of doctors in Sassoon General Hospital is high.
There is a total of 607 doctors including professors and residents.
We are trying to put maximum doctors for Covid purpose."He said private hospitals that have an ample number of ventilator beds and ICU beds have given 5 per cent to 10 per cent beds for Covid and that is very low.
"As per our current requirement, private hospitals need to give 80 per cent beds for Covid," he added.The health minister also said, "Non-oxygen support beds will be converted to oxygen beds.
Those hospitals that have plain beds will be asked and directed to convert plain beds into oxygen beds.
It is going to be mandatory for all private hospitals."He also said that tele ICU facilities will be started throughout the state in Maharashtra.
He said that the current problem does not include lack of infrastructure, but a dearth of doctors."Sassoon does day to day oxygen filling.
This should not be done on a day-to-day basis as there could be a crisis if supply is affected.
Sassoon has been directed to install an oxygen storage facility inside the premises so that there is no shortage of oxygen.""Testing kits from Sassoon cost Rs 2 thousand, testing kits are too expensive.
Expensive by 9 to 10 times.
We need to negotiate with them," Rajesh Tope added.He also informed that Pune is doing maximum testing.
"As the testing will increase positivity rate will also be high.
The rate has come down in the last 2 to 3 days.
There is no rocket science to control Covid.
Wearing mask, social distancing is important.
Critical patients should be our focus," he added.Speaking about testing, he said, "The ratio of testing should be 70-30.
RT PCR should be more and antigen should be less.
Also, regarding oxygen we issued a letter stating that 7 litres and 12 liters supply should he maintained.
But it is the doctors right to maintain as much oxygen as they want.
We are withdrawing this point from our letter.
Doctors will have the right to use as much oxygen as they want.
Our sole aim was to ensure that oxygen gets used properly in the time of crisis."Rajesh Tope also said that soon there will be a cap on the pricing of N95 masks.
"Mask producers making N95 masks are not cooperating.
So we are analysing everything.
And soon there will be a cap put in mask and sanitizer pricing.
There will also be caps on HRCT and on plasma rates.
Charges for HRCT will be monitored and charging Rs 5 thousand to 10 thousand rupees is absolutely wrong.
These charges would be around 2k to 3k and state govt will see to it that this happens."