The Delhi government on Monday reduced the number of beds for COVID-19 treatment in government facilities and allowed for reduction of such beds in private hospitals, according to official orders.
On April 18, the Delhi government had directed all private hospitals and nursing homes providing COVID-19-related treatment in the city to reserve at least 80% of their ICU bed capacity and 80% of their ward bed capacity for COVID-19-related treatment, the order said.
“It has been observed that there are 22,220 COVID beds vacant and there is a rising demand for non-COVID beds for treatment of non-COVID patients. Hence, keeping in view the large number of unoccupied COVID beds, the competent authority decided that private hospitals having bed capacity of 100 beds or more, oxygen beds may be reduced to 30% of their total bed capacity or three times of occupancy as on June 16, whichever is more. Further, for private hospitals having bed capacity of less than 100 beds will have an option to keep COVID beds in their hospitals,” an order issued on Monday read.
A separate order regarding government hospitals, said that due to the “reduction of COVID-19 cases” and “vacancy” of designated COVID-19 beds, the government has decided to reduce the number of COVID-19 beds in the hospitals and COVID health centres under the government.
The number of COVID-19 beds in Delhi government-run Lok Nayak Hospital has been reduced to 700 from 2,000, Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital to 150 from 650, GTB Hospital to 600 from 1,800, among others. In total, beds in 20 government-run hospitals and COVID health centres have been reduced to a total of 3,000 beds and 1,620 ICU beds, as per the order.