India, Oct. 22 -- As Maharashtra continues to face a severe shortage of intensive care facilities for critically-ill tuberculosis (TB) patients, the crunch is evident in Pune where the immunocompromised patients, who require oxygen therapy, ventilator support and ICU admission, are often denied the facilities as these are either unavailable or extremely limited.

Data provided by the state Public Health Department highlight the sharp disparity between patient needs and available infrastructure. There are five dedicated hospitals for TB patients, with a total of 1,314 beds. However, only 24 beds - less than 2% - are equipped with ventilators or oxygen support. Two hospitals together have 14 ventilator beds, while another has 10 oxygen beds...