COVID crisis: Delhi hospitals to engage retired nursing, para-medical staff; DTC deploys buses to carry oxygen cylinders

NEW DELHI: Amid a massive surge in COVID-19 cases in the city, the Delhi government on Tuesday allowed hospitals to engage retired nursing and para-medical staff to handle the situation.

"In view of the surge of the COVID pandemic and to meet the demand of increased manpower, the medical directors/medical superintendents/directors of all COVID Hospitals of the Delhi government are authorised to engage nursing and para-medical staff who have either retired as on March 31, 2021 or are retiring soon on contractual basis for a period of six months or up to September 30 whichever is earlier," an official order said.

All district magistrates are requested to make necessary arrangements of rooms (accommodation for doctors, nurses, paramedics and support staff), as assessed to be required, available at a negotiated tariff to the staff of the concerned COVID dedicated facilities in their district, another order said.

The health department on Tuesday ordered to restart four facilities for treatment of COVID-19 positive officers of the Delhi government, autonomous bodies, corporations and their family members.

Last year, beds in four hotels -- Hotel Ginger, Hotel Park Plaza, Hotel Leela Ambience and Hotel Golden Tulip Essential -- were linked with Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital for this purpose.

"It is hereby directed that the said facilities be restarted with immediate effect, if not already functional. District Magistrate, Shahdara, and District Magistrate, West, are directed to re-requisition the facilities, if released earlier, and place the same at the disposal of the RGSSH and DDUH," the order read.

The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has deployed its buses for carrying oxygen cylinders as the national capital reeled under a shortage of the life-saving gas amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Two DTC depots are providing buses for carrying medical oxygen cylinders to hospitals in emergency situation, said a DTC officer.

"There is no fixed number of buses deployed for carrying the cylinders. It depends on requirement. Routine bus services, scaled down in view of the lockdown, are unaffected because of it," the official said.

A spokesperson of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital said it received 1.5 tonnes of liquid medical oxygen on Tuesday afternoon sent by the Delhi government through DTC bus.

DTC managing director Vijay Bidhuri is one of the three senior IAS officers of the Delhi government who have been deputed to ensure smooth supply and distribution of medical liquid oxygen from the manufacturers and suppliers to the hospitals in the city.

He is also in-charge of a control room set up by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) that works round the clock to redress grievances and complaints from the city hospitals.