Pune: PMC standing committee on Thursday approved Rs 4 crore for upgrading neonatal care infrastructure at civic maternity hospitals to strengthen treatment facilities for newborns and reduce dependence on other govt hospitals during medical emergencies.
Under the approved proposal, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will procure 10 ventilators and 10 neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) machines for Kamala Nehru Hospital, Rajiv Gandhi Hospital and Chandumama Sonawane Maternity Home.
Standing committee chairperson Shrinath Bhimale said the move was prompted by a shortage of neonatal ventilators in civic hospitals, which often forced parents to shift critically ill newborns to Sassoon General Hospital. Considering the high cost of treatment at private hospitals, the administration proposed strengthening neonatal facilities at civic hospitals,” Bhimale said. “Municipal hospitals faced a shortage of ventilators for newborns, resulting in emergency referrals to Sassoon Hospital.