PUNE: Mercedes-Benz India announced that it has decided to set up a temporary hospital near Pune with medical facilities and isolation wards for coronavirus patients to fight the spread of the global disease. 

The newly developed medical facility will be in Mhalunge-Ingale village, Chakan Khed, close to Pune and PCMC area. The facility will have isolation wards with a capacity to take care of 1,500 patients, it said in a statement.

The facility is in the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority’s (MHADA) housing area. The company has also directly supported Grant Medical Foundation (Ruby Hall Clinic) by donating ventilators, it said.

Martin Schwenk, Mercedes-Benz India Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, said, “The new medical facility will help support the local authorities and the people of the region with healthcare in the coming times if the situation worsens. We hope for a steady recovery of the crisis and getting back to normalcy.”

Mercedes-Benz India also said that it would assist the Zilla Parishad with all necessary infrastructure including the medical equipment required to create a temporary OPD, infrastructure for stay, stretchers, wheelchairs, PPE kits and sanitisers which are essential in the smooth functioning of the hospital and isolation ward.

After easing of the COVID-19 condition, the medical equipment will be donated to Civil Hospital of Khed and assets from isolation wards will be donated to the tribal youth hostels. Mercedes-Benz India is also providing logistics support for setting up the isolation wards.