India, Aug. 11 -- Nearly 16 months after work began, the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has yet to open the burn ward at the old Talera Hospital in Chinchwad. The civic body had announced the project in February 2024, planning a 24-bed facility, including six ICU beds with a step-down unit.

The decision came in the wake of a tragic fire accident on December 8, 2023, at a sparkling candle manufacturing unit in Jyotiba Nagar, Talawade. The blaze claimed six lives on the spot and many succumbed to burn injuries while undergoing treatment at Sassoon General Hospital (SGH).

At present, there is no public healthcare facility in the entire Pune district, dedicated to treating burn patients. The burn ward at Talera Hospital unit ...