New Delhi, (Samajweekly) The Union government on Tuesday announced that 2,105 beds in its hospitals in the national capital have been thrown open for Covid patients of the city.
In a statement, the Union Health Ministry said that 2,105 beds include 1,875 oxygen beds and 230 ICU beds in Central government Hospitals including Safdarjung, RML, Lady Hardinge Medical College, AIIMS Delhi and Jhajjhar, ESIC Okhla and Jhilmil, and All India Institute of Ayurveda, Sarita Vihar.
“With this, the number of beds for Covid patients in Delhi has increased by more than four times, from the 510 beds available on March 1,” it said.
The Health Ministry also said it is in the process of continuously increasing Covid beds in its hospitals, while, field hospitals, and makeshift facilities are being set up with the help of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), whereby 46 additional beds at Safdarjung Hospital and 240 beds at the Lady Hardinge Medical College are expected to come up over the next two weeks.
According to the Ministry, in addition, in the DRDO facility in Dhaula Kuan, 250 ICU beds were made operational on April 19 and another 250 ICU beds will be made operational on April 21.
“Indian Railways has also committed to providing 50 coaches with 16 beds each at the Shakur Basti station, amounting to 800 beds, which can be used as isolation beds by Delhi Government. Further, Railways will also provide 25 Coaches with 16 beds each amounting to 400 beds in its Anand Vihar facility by April 21,” the statement said.
To ensure safe and efficient management of Covid cases in these railway coaches, the Delhi Government has been requested to refer to the relevant portions of the ‘Guidance Document on appropriate management of suspect or confirmed Covid cases in Railway Coaches’ circulated in May 2020.
“The Union Government is fully committed to tackling the Covid pandemic with all resources at its disposal. Additional resources are also being marshalled and a ‘Whole of Government’ approach is being implemented to strengthen the hospital infrastructure across various states for prompt and effective treatment of Covid patients,” the Ministry said.
