Special task force to 'minimise' COVID-19 death rate in Pune

Pune, Apr 14 () Authorities on Tuesday decided toset up a task force of specialist doctors to suggest measuresto "minimise" the COVID-19 death rate in Maharashtra's Punedistrict which has so far reported 359 cases and 38 deaths,officials said on Tuesday.

The task force will also suggest measures for clinicalmanagement of critically ill COVID-19 patients.

The decision was taken after it was noticed that thedeath rate of coronavirus-infected patients in Pune is higherthan the state and national averages, they said.

"It has been noticed that a large number of COVID-19cases are being detected in Pune and neighbouring PimpriChinchwad area. The death rate of coronavirus positivepatients in the Pune Metropolitan Region is higher than thestate and the national average," said Divisional Commissioner,Deepak Mhaisekar in an order.

The order to constitute a task force to recommend thepatients' management protocol for serious and critically illCOVID-19 patients in hospitals was issued on Tuesday.

"Looking at the higher death rate, it has been decidedto constitute a task force of specialist doctors to suggestmeasures to minimise the death rate and suggest measures forclinical management of COVID-19 patients, particularlycritically ill COVID-19 patients, and further to treat suchpatients in the designated hospitals," it stated.

The five designated hospitals are B J Medical College,Sassoon Hospital, Bharti Vidyapeeth Hospital, SymbiosisHospital, Naidu Hospital and Yashwantrao Chavan memorialHospital in Pimpri Chinchwad.

The task force will consist of ten doctors.

The task force will establish the management protocolfor serious and critically ill COVID-19 patients, and willalso recommend a suitable drug protocol to maintain uniformityin the treatment. SPKNSK NSK