Community Health Camps in Pune Cancelled Amid Disease Outbreak

Amid a surge in vector-borne diseases like chikungunya and dengue, community health camps scheduled in Pune have been cancelled. The rising number of patients has led to hospitals operating at full capacity, creating a shortage of beds and staff, officials said.

Dr. Vaibhav Gaikwad, district coordinator of the MPJAY and PMJAY health schemes, confirmed that while over 100 health camps had been held to date, the recent outbreak forced the cancellation of camps planned for the last week of September in Pune. However, rural areas and Pimpri-Chinchwad continue to host camps as per directives, with hopes of resuming city camps once the situation stabilizes.

Hospitals and medical colleges were earlier instructed to organize free community health camps under government orders, with specific targets based on their size. However, many hospitals, including Noble Hospital and Jehangir Hospital, cite staff shortages and a high influx of serious patients, making it difficult to conduct these camps.

Dr. Sanjay Patil, chairman of the Hospital Board of India’s Pune Chapter, emphasized that private hospitals are overwhelmed, further complicating the situation. Many healthcare workers have also fallen ill, exacerbating the strain on hospital resources.

Source: Hindustan Times