Gurgaon DM directs hospitals to increase beds for Covid patients amid surge in cases

As Covid-19 cases continued to surge in the district, Gurgaon District Magistrate Yash Garg Tuesday issued orders directing hospitals to reserve “at least 40%” beds in the “general category” and 70% of the “total bed capacity of ICU/Ventilator category” for Covid patients.

Till Monday evening, Gurgaon had recorded its highest single-day spike in Covid cases so far, with 1,132 fresh infections. Active cases in the district also rose to 6,177, of which 5889 patients are in home isolation.

In an order issued Tuesday, Garg stated that the direction was being sent out considering the fact that “District Gurugram has crossed more than 1,100 cases in a single day and having more than 6,000 active cases at present”.

“So, in view of (the) current Covid situation, we are in need of more dedicated Covid ICU and ventilator beds. So, demand for more hospitalization is likely to come. Effective health services and ensuring its efficient management is of utmost priority for the District Administration. Therefore, it has been decided to reserve sufficient numbers of beds at designated private hospitals for Covid patients.” the order reads.

It goes on to direct “all Public/Private Hospitals…to ensure that at last 40% of total beds capacity of general category and 70% of total bed capacity of ICU/Ventilator category of all Public/Private Hospitals are to be dedicated for COVID-19 cases with adequate availability of human resource and logistics (Drugs, Consumables, ICU etc.)”.

The directions come a fortnight after similar orders were issued directing hospitals to increase the number of beds reserved for Covid patients, from 35 per cent of total bed capacity to 50 per cent, as the district began seeing a surge in infections.