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.“Municipal hospitals faced a shortage of ventilators for newborns, resulting in emergency referrals to Sassoon Hospital. Considering the high cost of treatment at private hospitals, the administration proposed strengthening neonatal facilities at civic hospitals,” Bhimale said.According to PMC officials, the expenditure would be met from the Rs 10-crore allocation earmarked for medical equipment in the civic body’s 2026-27 budget.In another major decision, the committee approved the construction of a model English-medium school at Rajiv Gandhinagar on four acres of municipal land. The project has an estimated cost of Rs 62.21 lakh and an additional financial commitment of Rs 61.91 crore to be incurred over three years.The proposed school will offer education from Stds I to XII and is expected to accommodate between 1,000 and 1,500 students. Planned facilities include 30 classrooms, three laboratories, a library, computer room, art gallery, auditorium, swimming pool and sports grounds.The standing committee also gave the green light for land acquisition required for a 30-metre-wide, 1.2-km road connecting Lokmat Press and Savitri Garden in Dhayari. The project will require acquisition of 56 properties covering 30,422.26 square metres. Additionally, members approved Rs 25 lakh for the ‘Rangwa Eco Bappa’ initiative. The programme will provide idol-making kits to 2,000 students, encouraging eco-friendly Ganesh idol crafting using paper pulp, shadu clay, paints and brushes.
