COVID-19: Ventilator beds filling up in Delhi, but Kejriwal says not to worry

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said although COVID cases are increasing, there is no need for panic and that things are under control.

What he said may not have been just empty talk. He probably had reasons to believe that the government will be able to handle any situation.

While people are worried that ventilator beds in private hospitals may be filling up, the fact is that government hospitals still have many beds vacant.

Delhi has a total of 1,216 ventilator beds in its 93 government and private hospitals. While 702 beds are in the government hospitals, 514 are in the 79 private hospitals in the national capital.

As of Saturday morning, 462 of the 514 beds in the 79 private hospitals are occupied; 59 of the hospitals said they are almost full, The Print reported. This includes Max Smart in Saket, Max Hospital in Patparganj, Indraprastha Apollo and Saroj Super Speciality Hospital.

Related news: Delhi to conduct 40K tests per day to check COVID spike: Kejriwal

“Our ventilator beds are full, but 70 per cent of the occupants are from other states. Delhi’s borders are fully open so people from neighbouring states from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and even as far as Madhya Pradesh are coming for treatment,” said Dr Dhiraj Malik, medical superintendent, Saroj Super Speciality Hospital, according to The Print.

In the 14 government hospitals, however, more than 50 per cent of the beds are empty.

More patients are getting admitted now than before due to rising cases, said Dr B L Sherwal, director of the Delhi government-run Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital. But the hospital has enough beds to accommodate them, he said, according to The Print.

The Delhi government is also taking comfort from the fact that amid rising cases, the mortality rate has not increased. Delhi has reported 1,85,220 COVID cases so far with the death toll at 4,513.