Home Minister Amit Shah (2nd R), holds a meeting with Health Minister Harsh Vardhan (R), Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal (L) and others to discuss the Covid-19 situation in Delhi, at North Block in New Delhi Sunday | PTI
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New Delhi: In a high-level meeting to review Delhi’s response to the surging cases of Covid-19, Home Minister Amit Shah announced Sunday that testing in the capital will be doubled in the next two days and three times in the next six days.

“In order to contain the spread of the virus, in the next two days, testing will increase by two times and after six days testing will be further increased by three times. After a few days, each containment zone will have a testing facility at their polling stations,” Shah said in a statement.

The meeting, chaired by Shah, was attended by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, Lieutenant General of Delhi Anil Baijal, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Director Dr Randeep Guleria, among others.

Addressing the lack of beds for coronavirus patients in the capital, Shah announced that 500 railway coaches will be converted to wards and this will increase the number of beds available by 8,000.

These coaches will be well-equipped with all the required facilities, noted Shah.

The meeting comes amid a spike in Covid-19 infections in the national capital. With 38,958 cases, Delhi is the third highest in the country after Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

This is the second meeting between Shah and Kejriwal in less than a week on the pandemic.

Beds and tests at reasonable rates in private hospitals

A committee has also been formed under Niti Aayog member Dr V.K. Paul to ensure that private hospitals charge reasonable rates for Covid-19 tests, treatment and 60 per cent of their beds.

“For treatment of Covid-19 in Delhi’s private hospitals, and to ensure that 60 percent of the beds in private hospitals are available at reasonable rates and treatment and testing rate is regulated and fixed, a committee under leadership of Dr V.K. Paul has been set up,” Shah tweeted.

A report by the committee with all these details will be submitted Monday, he added.

Doctors with the health ministry, AIIMS, Delhi government’s health department and the three Municipal Corporations have also been asked to prepare a joint report after visiting all hospitals in Delhi, regarding the arrangements and preparedness in the hospitals that are fighting against the coronavirus infections, a source from the home ministry revealed.

According to another key decision in the meeting, a committee of senior doctors will be formed, who will ensure that correct procedures and guidelines are conveyed and communicated to smaller hospitals through telephone.

A helpline number will be issued Monday in this matter, tweeted Shah.

Proper Contact Mapping

To ensure proper contact mapping, both the central and the Delhi government have decided that a detailed survey of every individual in containment zones will be carried out.

This survey will include details of the person’s symptoms, where he/she went in the past seven to 14 days, and who all he/she came in contact with, the MHA source said.

A report of every individual will then be made and submitted.

“The report of this survey will come within one week and will help identify and monitor patients more effectively,” the source said.

“For closer monitoring, each individual will be asked to download the Aarogya Setu application,” he added.

Other key decisions

The central government has decided to depute five senior officers to assist the Delhi government in fighting the pandemic effectively.

The Modi government will also help the Delhi government with essentials like oxygen cylinders, ventilators and pulse oximeters.

Sources in the MHA noted that a new set of guidelines for cremations are being worked out to ensure that it does not take long to hand over and cremate bodies.

The government has also decided to recruit Scout guides, National Cadet Corps (NCC) and National Service Scheme (NSS) as volunteers in health services.