As COVID-19 cases are on the rise in Pune, private hospitals are facing difficulty in treating patients due to shortage of Remdesivir injections, and oxygen supply.

Apart from this, the influx of patients in these private hospitals is very high causing a deficiency in the number of available ventilator beds.

In fact, the problem has reached such a critical stage that hospitals are being forced to turn away patients in need of oxygen supply or refer them to other hospitals.

There has been a shortage of oxygen supply for last 2-3 days due to which we had to either deny admission to patients in need of oxygen supply or send them to other hospitals where oxygen is available. With the limited oxygen supply we have to look after patients admitted here already because their supply also has to be maintained,” ANI quoted Dr Penukar as saying.

“Ventilator beds are a major problem as there is already a shortage of ventilator beds across the city. Not only that even the Remdesivir injection which is one of the medicine we are using to cure the patient was also not available at many places. These things have to be streamlined as every hospital including ours have increased bed capacity for COVID patient treatment and we are all prepared to treat them well if provided these things on time” he added.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra has announced a 15-day ban on large gatherings in the state from tomorrow to break the chain of infections, stressing that cases were “exploding dangerously” and “the war has begun again”, as he addressed people of the state on the unprecedented surge in Covid infections.

Thackeray said from tomorrow, Section 144, which bans gathering of more than four people, would be in place across Maharashtra and only essential travel would be allowed. He also said from 7 am to 8 pm, only essential services would function.

India has reported 1,84,372 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, setting another grim one-day record as the overall tally reached 1,38,73,825 so far, the health ministry data stated on Monday.

With this, India has once again taken its spot as the second-worst hit nation in terms of infections after the US.

(With agency inputs)