Authorities on Tuesday decided toset up a task force of specialist doctors to suggest measures to "minimise" the COVID-19 death rate in Maharashtra's Pune district which has so far reported 359 cases and 38 deaths, officials said on Tuesday.The task force will also suggest measures for clinical management of critically ill COVID-19 patients.The decision was taken after it was noticed that the death rate of coronavirus-infected patients in Pune is higher than the state and national averages, they said."It has been noticed that a large number of COVID-19 cases are being detected in Pune and neighbouring Pimpri Chinchwad area. The death rate of coronavirus positive patients in the Pune Metropolitan Region is higher than the state and the national average," said Divisional Commissioner, Deepak Mhaisekar in an order.The order to constitute a task force to recommend the patients' management protocol for serious and critically ill COVID-19 patients in hospitals was issued on Tuesday."Looking at the higher death rate, it has been decided to constitute a task force of specialist doctors to suggest measures to minimise the death rate and suggest measures for clinical management of COVID-19 patients, particularly critically ill COVID-19 patients, and further to treat such patients in the designated hospitals," it stated.The five designated hospitals are B J Medical College, Sassoon Hospital, Bharti Vidyapeeth Hospital, Symbiosis Hospital, Naidu Hospital and Yashwantrao Chavan memorial Hospital in Pimpri Chinchwad.The task force will consist of ten doctors.The task force will establish the management protocol for serious and critically ill COVID-19 patients, and will also recommend a suitable drug protocol to maintain uniformity in the treatment.
