https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Covid 3.0 And the Rush to Save Children in Pune

The much feared third wave of Covid 19 is supposedly lurking round the corner, and majority of its victims this time could be children. Keeping this possibility in mind, The Municipal Corporation of Pune has started making preparation on a war footing.
Indian Masterminds Stories

Under the care of IAS officer Rubal Agarwal, Additional Municipal Commissioner of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), the smart city has come up with the first Covid Centre for children in the nation.

In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, the officer talked about the center and her ideas to beat the third Covid wave.

Ms. Agarwal checking the arrangements of the center

COVID CENTER FOR CHILDREN

Ms. Agarwal planned on creating a Covid center specifically dedicated to little children and their parents since they usually get admitted together.

“If a child is infected, there are grave chances of their parents being infected too. Therefore we have made the center with 100 beds for children and 200 beds for their parents,” says Ms. Agarwal.

The center is packed with facilities such as warm water, a play area for kids, toys, etc. The entire center is sanitized thrice a day therefore the chance of children’s infection becoming worse stays pretty low. For entire families infected with Covid, the center has special family rooms that can accommodate parents and their children. They have also arranged 10 oxygen beds and concentrators for emergencies.

The center is packed with several facilities

The center is a huge success and has already discharged four children after their full recovery. It was inaugurated by the Deputy CM and several NGOs are also involved in its operation.

“PMC is providing the centers with medicines, essentials, pharmacy, and doctors. They are even looking after the laboratories. An NGO is providing them food and the local corporators have also chipped in. This is how we get the entire funding. It is a unique model which is not only government-run but involves numerous organizations and is at par with private facilities,” she told Indian Masterminds.

It is painted with colorful designs which raise an interest in little ones

PREPARING FOR THIRD WAVE

Sizing up the situation of the country, Pune Municipal Corporation has already started preparing for the third Covid wave beforehand, so they are ready to face the danger as and when it knocks on their doors.

“We have established 150 oxygen beds, 15 NICU (newborn intensive care unit) beds for children up to 1-year-old, 20 PICU (Pediatric intensive care unit) for up to 14-year-olds, and 20 ICU and ventilators for 14-18-year-olds and their parents,” Ms. Agarwal told Indian Masterminds.

Newborn Intensive Care Units

Furthermore, the officer is setting up two oxygen generator plants and installing 13 kilo-liter liquefied oxygen tanks in the city.

“It will be completed within the next two months. This is our vision to not just stop there but also develop Dedicated Covid Hospitals for Pediatric. This will be beneficial to us in the long run and will help us in fighting the third wave efficiently,” stated the 2008 batch IAS officer.

Pediatric intensive care unit

CURRENT COVID CONDITION IN THE CITY

Currently, Pune has a 5% Covid rate with a bed occupancy of 20%. The recovery rate is a whopping 97.5%. Hospitalization is at a low rate and positive cases have dropped down to 1000 from 9000 people.

Moreover, the officer is making sure to hold monthly meetings with Pune’s pediatric surgeons and pediatric medical association, wherein they discuss and layout SOPs for the third wave and how to deal with them.

Four children have been discharged after full recovery

“Looking at the possibility of a third wave, we are discussing the requirements of pediatric faculty and have started procuring the equipment and necessary material required for treatment,” Ms. Agarwal told Indian Masterminds.

Pune Municipal Corporation and Ms. Rubal Agarwal’s vision of getting ready to fight the third wave before it hits the nation is already proving beneficial for the smart city.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
gujarat police
Gujarat: Govt Brings 11 IPS Officers From 2011 to 2015 Batches Under Old Pension Scheme
NHPC_resized_2
NHPC Awards ₹199 Cr Hydro-Mechanical Contract to Om Infra for 2880 MW Dibang Project
Navodaya
AI-Driven Future: GAIL India Ltd Becomes First Maharatna PSU to Go Live with SAP S/4HANA Cloud under Project Navodaya
Madhya Pradesh Logo IM
Rs 858 Crore in New Projects, 3,000 Jobs: Madhya Pradesh’s RISE-2025 Conclave Set to Transform Ratlam on June 27
Bhupender Yadav
Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav Calls for Balance of Tradition and Science at Indian Conservation Conference 2025
Madhya Pradesh Logo IM
High Pay, Low Work: MP Govt Pays High Salaries to 21 SAS Officers Without Matching Responsibilities
PSU Banks
PSU Banks Retain Grip on ATM Transactions as Private Lenders Dominate Digital Space
Justice BR Gavai1
CJI BR Gavai: "Constitution is Supreme, Not Parliament" - Asserts Independence of Judiciary
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-25 at 5.07
Why Has the DGCA Fined Air India Rs 5 Crore Since Privatisation?
Former Diplomat Ashok Sajjanhar
Iran Is Weakest Now, Needs a Face-Saver
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-23 at 12.39
Retired Officers Lead 7-Day Mission to Revive Betwa River with 55 Check Dams | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Sanish Kumar Singh
“If you want it badly enough, you’ll find a way,” Sanish Kumar Singh AIR 8, UPSC IFS 2024 
The real interview, he says, was much more humane. “The board was conversational. The chairman opened...
Raju Wagh
When the Battlefield Became a Study Room and a Dream Took Flight
Amid IED blasts and anti-Maoist operations in Bastar, CRPF Commando Raju Wagh taught village kids, studied...
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-18 at 10.31
"I Just Wanted to Breathe Again": The Man Who Fought Death and Made It to UPSC
Struck by COVID at the peak of his UPSC prep, Devanand Telgote spent months on ECMO, unsure he'd live,...
Social Media
Tigress Arrowhead
The End of an Era: A Queen Falls - Ranthambore’s Iconic Tigress Arrowhead (T-84) Passes Away at 14, Hours After Daughter’s Relocation
Ranthambore mourns the loss of one of its fiercest and most beloved tigers, Arrowhead, the granddaughter...
Screenshot 2025-06-13 194001
Wild Elephant Disrupts Riverside Picnic, Sparks Debate on Human Encroachment; IFS Parveen Kumar Shares the Video - Watch Here!
Mr. Kaswan used the viral video, which has garnered over 1.5 lakh views, to highlight the risks of human...
Tiger jump Sundarban
Stunning Viral Video Shows Royal Bengal Tiger Making Spectacular 30-Foot Leap Across River in Sunderbans - See It Here
Retired Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Susanta Nanda shared the clip online, which quickly went...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
gujarat police
Gujarat: Govt Brings 11 IPS Officers From 2011 to 2015 Batches Under Old Pension Scheme
NHPC_resized_2
NHPC Awards ₹199 Cr Hydro-Mechanical Contract to Om Infra for 2880 MW Dibang Project
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-25 at 5.07
Former Diplomat Ashok Sajjanhar
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-23 at 12.39
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT