New Delhi, Apr 24 (UNI) The Centre on Friday ensured the Delhi Government of providing more ICU and oxygenated beds and over 100 MT of Oxygen to the nation capital to tackle alarming surge in coronavirus cases.
The Centre's ensurance came during a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Chief Ministers of 10 high Coronavirus burdened states.
According to the officials, the Central government has ensured that additional 250 ICU beds with ventilators will be set up at the DRDO run Sardar Vallabhai Patel Covid hospital in Delhi cantt by this evening. This center has been operational since April 19 with 250 ICU beds and being run by the medical professionals of the Armed Force Medical Services (AFMC).
The Centre has already asked ITBP to reopen Sardar Patel COVID Care Centre (SPCCC) at Chhattarpur in South Delhi and ordered the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) to depute adequate numbers of medical manpower for 500 oxygenated beds at SPCCC, Chhattarpur and the number of beds will be increased if necessitated.
The Union Health Ministry has also targeted to increase bed capacity from 1090 to 3800 in Central Government hospitals and as of now it has been increased to 3623, including 480 ICU beds with ventilators.
The officials also said with these additions, the total bed capacity will reach to 4,159 beds, including 730 ICU beds.
The Centre has already increased the per day oxygen allocation from 378 MT to 480 MT and movement of allocated oxygen supplies is being monitored on real time.
Coronavirus situation in the national capital is precarious with many hospitals running out of oxygen.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal told the Prime Minister that the national capital is facing an 'acute shortage' of oxygen for COVID-19 patients and other states like Haryana are blocking the supply of O2.
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