Hindu Rao Hospital adds 20 ICU beds for COVID

NEW DELHI:  Amid a massive surge in coronavirus cases in the national capital in the last several days, authorities on Tuesday said 20 ICU beds at civic-run Hindu Rao Hospital have been earmarked for Covid-19 patients. North Delhi Mayor Jai Prakash on Tuesday afternoon inspected the hospital and took stock of the situation there.

“In view of the increasing cases of coronavirus, 20 ICU beds have been arranged separately for the corona patients at the Hindu Rao Hospital,” he said.

The number of beds will be further increased, he said. The North Delhi Municipal Corporation is always ready to serve the citizens, but the Delhi government should also provide funds to the corporation, the mayor said.

Earlier in the day, sources said, the North Corporation-run hospital is likely to be converted into a dedicated Covid-19 facility again.

The 980-bed hospital, which is the the largest municipal hospital in Delhi, was designated as a coronavirus facility on June 14, when the city was under the first wave of the spread of infection.

However, on October 13 it was removed from the list of such facilities in view of its low occupancy. With the capital city now under the third wave of the spread of Covid-19, the hospital is likely to be converted into a dedicated facility once again, sources said. 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said some of the hospitals under the municipal corporations of Delhi will be converted into dedicated Covidhospitals.

The highest single-day spike till date in Delhi, 8,593 cases, was recorded on November 11 with 85 fatalities.