India / COVID-19 recovery rate in Pimpri-Chinchwad is at 74%: PCMC

Pune: WHILE the national recovery rate of Covid-19 patients is pegged at 76.47 per cent, industrial city Pimpri-Chinchwad’s recovery rate hovers around 74 per cent. It has dropped from a high of 80 per cent, which was recorded in June.

On Sunday evening, PCMC released the figures of positive patients and those recovered till date. As many as 48,000 people have been infected by coronavirus while around 34,000 have recovered till date. “As of now our recovery percentage is at 74 per cent which is just two per cent less than the national average recovery rate,” said Municipal Commissioner Shravan Hardikar.

On Wednesday, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had emphasised on the need to reduce positive cases as well as bring the mortality rate down.

In the initial stages of March and April, Pimpri-Chinchwad had cent per cent recovery rate. “Till May end and even June, we had around 80 per cent recovery rate. But after the lockdown was lifted and cases started rising, the recovery rate dropped,” he said.

In July and August, Pimpri-Chinchwad has seen maximum Covid cases. This was after PCMC stepped up testing by bringing antigen kits as well. “Our testing has increased manifold. From 200-300 tests every day in the first two-three months, the testing has gone up to around 4,000 every day,” Hardikar said.

With testing going up, the positivity rate has also shot up. “Our positivity rate is between 20-27 per cent,” the PCMC chief said.

The PCMC health department said of the 34,000 recoveries, 80 per cent cases were asymptomatic. “The patients did not require hospitalisation. Those who had no symptoms or had mild symptoms were home-isolated. Every day, of the total cases, 80 per cent are asymptomatic. They are asked to isolate at home and are monitored round the clock,” said PCMC Additional Municipal Commissioner Santosh Patil.

Patil said the home isolation concept picked up in July. “So far, we have had around 20,000 positive cases in home isolation. Of these, maximum have recovered and are out of their home isolation period,” he said.

The second biggest recovery has come from PCMC-run YCM hospital, where nearly 10,000 patients have recovered. “At YCMH, patients with symptoms are admitted, primarily those who have developed pneumonia. Of the over 11,000 patients admitted, we have had 460 deaths so far. Currently, around 400 patients are undergoing treatment. Rest have been discharged and a few transferred to our Covid Care Centres,” said Rajendra Wable, dean of YCM hospital.

Earlier this week, an 800-bed jumbo hospital at Nehrunagar and another 200-bed facility have come up. “These two facilities are great news for patients. Those who get infected become jittery and panic. First, because they have Covid and second, whether they will get hospital admission. This panic and anxiety will now drop as we have set up enough beds,” Patil said.

Meanwhile, the PCMC administration has decided to purchase sanitisers, face shields, infrared thermometers from Hindustan Antibiotics Ltd. Officials said the purchases worth over Rs 1 crore will be made for employees of different civic departments and for Covid Care Centres.