Sangli to get 1st COVID-19 hospital under Dr. Pallavi Saple's charge as 24 cases crop up

Maharashtra which has reported the highest number of Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, saw a sudden spurt of 24 positive cases from Sangli district on Friday. To tackle this development, Medical Education minister Amit Deshmukh deployed Mumbai's J J Hospital's youngest Dean since 1947 - Dr. Pallavi Saple, who had already headed the Government Medical College in Sangli's Miraj for three years. Taking the administrative charge of the two colleges -  Government Medical college, Sangli and Government Medical College, Miraj, Saple said that she planned to set up Maharashtra's second dedicated COVID-19 hospital in Miraj, in an exclusive conversation with Republicworld.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates: PM-CARES Fund launched on Day 4 of lockdown; active cases at 819

Dr. Saple sets up dedicated COVID-19 hospital in Sangli

Speaking about how she got involved in the COVID-19 battle in Sangli, she said, "Sangli had a sudden spurt of cases (24) yesterday of COVID-19. As I had previously been posted to Sangli for three years, I was told to report this afternoon under the directions of our Medical Education minister Amit Deshmukh. The collector's office is currently tracing the contacts of these four cases who had returned from Umrah (Mecca). While they were told to be in home quarantine, they did not move out much but rather entertained people at their home."

PM Modi launches 'PM CARES' Fund to aid anyone in distress amid Coronavirus lockdown

Talking about how the biggest challenge for her was to flatten the curve, she said that she aimed to maintain the rise in the number of cases in a linear fashion like - Japan and South Korea, while preparing for the exponential rise - like the case was in Italy or Spain. She added that hence, she decided to bifurcate the two hospitals attached to the two medical colleges into a dedicated COVID-19 hospital and a non-COVID hospital. Since taking charge on Saturday afternoon, Saple said that she had already shifted 90% of the non-COVID patients (130 patients) to Sangli while keeping the 24 COVID patients in Miraj - turning it into a dedicated COVID hospital.    

"We do not know if we are going the South Korea and Japan way or the Italy and Spain way. But we have to prepare for the Spain way. I have been given administrative charge of Grant Government Medical College, Sangli and Government Medical College, Miraj along with the two medical hospitals placed nine kilometres apart," she said.

She added, "In Miraj, we are planning to have a separate hospital dedicated only for COVID-19 instead of having some isolation beds in a big hospital. We have already shifted 90% of the non-COVID patients - 130 non-COVID patients in total - to the Sangli hospital, which will function as the dedicated non-COVID hospital. Only the patients who are ventilated and the women who have given birth have not been shifted, which will be done tomorrow morning."

AAP slams Yogi govt's 'dirty politics' as thousands of migrant workers crowd Delhi border

Sangli's COVID hospital with testing lab, training centre

The two colleges which have 1000 doctors along with paramedical workers, who can be shuffled have prepared 270 beds and 10 ICU beds in anticipation of a higher number of positive cases. Moreover, Saple added that she is currently in talks with the government to set up a testing centre in Miraj within a couple of days as samples had to still be transported to Pune. While she has claimed that the hospital is equipped with adequate medical supplies, she warned that even if one patient is missed, 500 new cases will crop up- for which she is currently preparing. To not let any patient's medical needs go unmet is Dr. Saple motto as Maharashtra's cases soar to 180. 

"Sangli will have a separate OPD ward with testing lab and training of all personnel. We will have close to 270 beds there and 10 beds for ICU. Even if one patient is missed, in a matter of 10-15 days, he can potentially infect 500 people. My job has two aims - no COVID patient has unmet health needs and no non-COVID patient should be neglected - as they also have indirect fatalities of COVID," she said.

She added, "Doctors are working under the umbrella of the two medical colleges -  we have 400-500 resident doctors, 200 faculty doctors, final year students and interns and private practitioners who want to help.  There also retired doctors but we are not opting for those as senior citizens suffer the most. These 1000 doctors with paramedical workers can be shuffled between both hospitals. While the samples are currently being tested in Pune, we are pushing to get a testing centre soon here itself and it should be up in a few days. As of now, we have adequate medical supplies, but we are preparing for the worst as the number of cases may increase."

Centre issues 3 months advance medicines to chronic cases; ICMR rules out random testing

Sangli's 24 COVID-19 positive cases

A family of four who had returned from Mecca had tested positive on Friday. After being advised home quarantine, the family met with other family members at their home - infecting 20 other members. Currently, the Sangli collector's office is tracing those who came in contact with the family, as they reportedly 'entertained guests at home'. All positive testing members have been isolated at the Miraj Hospital and are not in critical condition yet.