Pune cases falling, 40% patients at Sassoon from Ahmednagar, says deputy CM Ajit Pawar

PUNE: Nearly 40% of the Covid-19 patients admitted to the state-run Sassoon General Hospital in Pune are from Ahmednagar district, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said on Friday.
Ahmednagar district had a daily positivity rate of 3.32% and reported 639 cases on Friday. Two days ago, it had the highest weekly positivity rate of 4.27% as against the state’s 2.11%.
Patients from other districts have been coming to Pune for Covid treatment since the pandemic broke out last year for better healthcare.Many from the rural areas go to Sassoon as it is the nodal government hospital.
Pawar said he had spoken to Ahmednagar’s collector Rajendra Bhosale and directed the authorities to follow strict containment measures. He also spoke to Nashik’s divisional commissioner since Ahmednagar falls under Nashik division.
“Help for testing and other infrastructure to Ahmednagar will be provided by Pune district which has enough laboratories. The local administration in Ahmednagar has been told to take strict measures for containment and ensure that Covid-19 cases are attended to as early as possible. If a particular area is registering more cases, strict containment measures should be implemented there,”he added.
Covid-19 cases have been increasing in Sangamner and Parner talukas in Ahmednagar district. Radhakrishna Game, divisional commissioner of Nashik division, told TOI that 1,000 samples from both these talukas will be sent to Pune. “We have been told to ensure adequate infrastructure is provided and patients are sent to Pune early,” he added.
Ahmednagar’s collector Rajendra Bhosale told TOI that he had assured Pawar of adequate care locally, ramping up testing and sending samples to Pune, Nashik and Aurangabad. He added that there were nearly 700 cases being reported daily from Sangamner, Parner, Rahata and Shrigonda talukas in the district.
“Since July, we have been carrying out 15,000 tests daily. With cases rising, we will increase it to 20,000. We have tied up with government laboratories in Pune, Nashik and Aurangabad,” he added. Parner and Shrigonda will send samples to Pune while Sangamner and Akole will send to Nashik and the rest will go to Aurangabad.
As many as 110 villages where cases were up have been told to carry out self-imposed restrictions. “There will be strict monitoring of Covid protocols. Private doctors have been told to report all cases so that there is no delay in testing and treatment,” Bhosale added.
Sugar factories have been told to conduct sero positivity survey to understand the positivity levels, local authorities have been told to be on the watch as zilla parishad and panchayat samiti elections are due, and people should avoid gatherings, he said.
Pawar on Friday also directed the local administration to check for the areawise mapping of the remaining 60% patients at Sassoon hospital. Cases in Pune were falling, and the administration must reserve only one hospital for Covid care in Pune rural areas while the remaining must open for non-Covid treatment, he added.