Pune: With Pune, the epicentre of novel coronavirus is witnessing a rise in new cases every other day, medical facilities in the district are battling hard with the prevailing condition. With lack of ventilator beds, shortage of anti-viral drug Remdesivir, Pune has also highlighted issues with medical oxygen supply. To add into the grim situation, private hospitals are facing problems in treating patients amid shortage of oxygen supply and Remdesivir vials.

Currently, there are only few ventilator beds available in the city hospitals as the caseload is increasing every other day. One has to refuse admission to patients in need of oxygen supply or send them to other hospitals where it is available, Dr Mukund Penurkar, Director of Sanjeevan Hospital was quoted as saying by ANI.

Pune on Wednesday reported a slight dip in the number of COVID-19 cases. The district recorded 7,888 infections, according to the health department.

"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," Dr Penurkar added.

He further expressed that the shortage of ventilator beds is also a concern.

"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 said.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra government on Tuesday declared the imposition of Section 144 in the state from Wednesday against the backdrop of COVID-19 infection. In Pune, the administration has also cleared that weekend lockdown will be continued here amid surge in cases.