The Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced that 1,400 to 2,000 beds will be arranged for COVID-19 patients in the city in the next two days as there is a shortage of oxygen and beds in the capital. Kejriwal visited the Yamuna Sports Complex and Commonwealth Games Village to inspect the progress being made in setting up COVID care centres there.
Deputy Chief Minister and nodal minister for COVID Manish Sisodia and Health Minister Satyendar Jain also visited various hospitals to check the facilities of Covid-19.
However, the Capital witnessed the biggest jump in its daily COVID-19 surge with 25,462 fresh cases reported on Sunday, while the positivity rate shot up to 29.74 per cent, meaning almost every third sample being tested in the city is turning out to be positive.
Kejriwal said during the visit, “We are arranging maximum oxygen beds for the people. Between 1,400-2,000 beds will become available in the next two days.”
In view of rising numbers of serious COVID-19 patients, Arvind Kejriwal urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi for augmenting oxygen-supported beds in Delhi hospitals.
COVID-19 cases in Delhi have been rising rapidly in the last few days, due to which the number of available beds is fast decreasing, he said.
“We are arranging additional beds at Yamuna Sports Complex and Commonwealth Games Village and several schools in Delhi.”
About 500 beds each are being prepared at Yamuna Sports Complex and Commonwealth Games Village while on the other hand 100 beds are being set up at a Delhi government school.
“We do not want the situations we saw in other cities and countries. Patients should not be denied medical help neither should they be left lying in corridors or roads,” he said.
In view of the oxygen shortage at hospitals in Delhi, Sisodia said a new oxygen plant will be started in the next two days. He said after a visit to the facility that Radha Soami Satsang Beas premises will house 5,000 oxygen-supported beds.
Visiting a makeshift COVID facility prepared by the DRDO, he said it will have 500 ventilator-equipped ICU beds. Out of these, admission of patients on 250 beds will start from Monday, he said.
Visited DRDO’s upcoming Covid Hospital near airport. Salute to DRDO for creating this facility within 5 days time.
With this center, 250 ICU beds with ventilators will be added for critical ill patients from tomorrow. Another 250 beds would to be operational in next 4-5 days. pic.twitter.com/L4nLaCBvEG
— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) April 18, 2021
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said some people choose to stay at hospitals despite getting discharge permission from doctors. He appealed to them to leave the beds for seriously ill patients.
At Satyawadi Raja Harishchandra Hospital in Narela, Sisodia said the number of beds there will increase to 400 in the next two days. Currently, there are 130 beds at the hospital.