Kejriwal demands Indian Army, ITBP staff for Delhi's COVID-19 centre

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has asked the Central government to deploy doctors and health staff from the Indian Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) at the upcoming 10,000-bed COVID-19 treatment centre in Delhi’s Chhatarpur area.

The upcoming COVID-19 facility in Delhi is billed as the world’s largest, so far. In a letter, the Delhi CM also urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to inspect the COVID-19 treatment centre.

The Home Minister, in response to Arvind Kejriwal, assured that the facility will start functioning by June 26.

Dear Kejriwal ji,
It has already been decided in our meeting 3 days back and MHA has assigned the work of operating the 10,000 bed COVID Care Centre at Radha Swami Beas in Delhi to ITBP. The work is in full swing and a large part of the facility will be operational by 26th Jun. https://t.co/VLMOQdEseY

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) June 23, 2020

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government is struggling with shortage of COVID-19 beds amid a steep rise of COVID-19  cases. To deal with the shortage, the Radha Soami Spiritual Centre is being converted into a massive COVID-19 facility. The Chhatarpur centre for COVID-19 treatment has covered an area of 12,50,000 square feet.

The area is as large as 22 football fields. It is preinstalled fans and CCTV cameras. The facility will have almost 200 enclosures with 50 beds each. Earlier, it was being used to shelter the migrant workers. The community kitchens are semi-industrial and has the capacity to feed thousands of people at a time.

Amit Shah, in a series of tweets, assured that many more COVID-19 beds will be provided in the national capital, in the next few days.

I would also like to inform the people of Delhi that a 1,000 bed full-fledged hospital with 250 ICU beds is being developed for Covid patients. DRDO and Tata Trust are building the facility. Armed forces personnel will man it. This Covid Care centre will be ready in next 10 days.

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) June 23, 2020

Armed Forces personnel have been detailed for providing medical care and attention to COVID patients housed in the Railway coaches in Delhi. 8,000 additional beds have already been placed at Delhi government’s disposal for making COVID care centres, as per requirement.

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) June 23, 2020

Earlier this month, the Delhi government’s decision to reserve COVID-19 beds for Delhi residents was overturned by Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal. Arvind Kejriwal had later warned that Delhi will require 1.5 lakh beds by July 31.

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Amit Shah held a meeting recently with Arvind Kejriwal and Delhi LG Anil Baijal on the COVID-19 situation in the capital. It was decided that a more robust contact tracing mechanism be developed and the containment zone strategy be revamped.