New Delhi: As Covid-19 cases surge in the national capital, the Delhi government Wednesday decided to augment the city’s bed capacity by linking banquet halls to government hospitals and hotels to private hospitals.
The Covid beds situation looks dire in Delhi. According to the Delhi Corona app, only 171 ICU beds with ventilators are available out of 1,210, while for non-ventilator-equipped ICU beds, the numbers are 456 and 2,401 respectively. Overall, 5,079 beds are available out of 14,572.
In three separate orders issued Wednesday, and accessed by ThePrint, Amit Singla, Delhi’s Health and Family Welfare Secretary, highlighted the dire need for more beds. The first order stated that five banquet halls, with 875 beds, will be attached with different government hospitals. For example, the Shehnai Banquet Hall, which is located opposite LNJP Hospital, one of Delhi’s key Covid centres, is already being used to treat about 20 patients. The government orders call these additional centres ‘linked hospitals’.
In another order, the government has linked 23 hotels to private hospitals. The private hospitals will provide the requisite medical services in these hotels.
Depending on their condition, patients will be sent to these hotels and in case anyone develops severe symptoms, they will be admitted to the linked private hospital and given treatment at the scheduled rate.
Who will provide the facilities?
In the banquet halls linked to government hospitals, the authorities will provide medical staff, health infrastructure and consumables.
“The rates of the banquet halls/other facilities will be provided by divisional commissioner in due course,” read one of the government orders, adding that expenditure shall be under Delhi State Health Mission funds for Covid-19 as far as possible, and any extra expenditure may be taken from the Delhi Budget.
In the case of hotels linked to private hospitals, the latter is required to give sufficient manpower, provide sufficient oxygen supply, either in the form of oxygen cylinder or oxygen concentrator, besides consumables like N-95 masks and PPE kits.
“The hotel shall provide regular hotel services, including rooms, housekeeping, disinfection and food for the patients for a price not greater than Rs 5,000 for five-star hotels and not more than Rs 4,000 for three/four-star hotels per day per person,” read another order.
For oxygen support, an amount of Rs 2,000 can be charged per day, the order stated.
(Edited by Shreyas Sharma)
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