The Delhi High Court has disposed off a petition that sought more COVID-19 hospitals in the national capital and directed the Centre and the Delhi government to keep a tab on the number of coronavirus cases.

The petitioner was seeking that more private hospitals in Delhi be allowed to treat COVID-19 patients, as well as more pathological laboratories, be allowed conducting tests on suspected COVID-19 cases.

A bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Subramonium Prasad, which was hearing the plea, observed that no interference is warranted in this matter as of now and directed both the Centre and the Delhi Governments to keep a tab on the numbers and seeing the rising cases the number of hospitals and labs be proportionately increased. 

The petitioner, while allegedly relying upon the media reports, had said that there were around 10,000 patients of COVID-19 in Delhi alone, but not enough hospitals. Claiming that it was difficult for the present number of COVID-19 hospitals to cope up with the load, the petitioner had insisted upon designating more private hospitals as COVID-19 hospitals so that treatment could be assured.

Representing Delhi Government, Advocate Anuj Aggarwal told the court that the revised guidelines by the Union Health Ministry suggest for home isolation for very mild or presymptomatic COVID-19 cases. He submitted that as per the revised guidelines, very mild/pre-symptomatic patients can go into self-isolation if they have adequate facilities at their residence and only if serious signs or symptoms emerge as specified in the guidelines, should the patient be taken to a hospital.

It was also submitted it the court that Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Naryan Hospital with 2000 beds and Rajiv Gandhi Suprespeciality Hospital with 500 beds have been designated as COVID-19 Hospitals. Along with them, nine private hospitals have also been designated as COVID-19 hospitals.