2,426 COVID-19 beds available in Delhi hospitals, govt working to add more: Satyendar Jain
Only 2,426 COVID-19 beds are available at hospitals in Delhi at present, Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Tuesday, assuring that the city government was increasing the number of beds for coronavirus patients at a fast pace.
The details of the available beds can be found on the Delhi Corona app, he told reporters here.
Jain said the Delhi government was making efforts to increase the number of beds, and approximately 1,000-1,500 beds are being added every day.
“There were about 6,000 beds on April 8, which has been increased to close to 19,000 as of Tuesday. The Delhi government has increased beds more than three times in the last 10-12 days,” he said.
“Today COVID-19 hospitals have 18,923 beds, and out of that, 2,426 are available. Beds are being increased in many centres by attaching them to hospitals,” Jain added.
The Delhi health minister said COVID-19 beds have also been added to several other centres, including the Commonwealth Games Village.
“We are increasing the number of beds by associating them with all the hospitals of the state government,” he said.
The minister further said the Delhi government has appealed to the Centre to allow remdesivir drug to be supplied by all companies so that its shortage can be mitigated.
“There is a shortage of remdesivir in the entire country. We probably have 12 to 14 companies in the country for this. If the central government allows all these to manufacture, then its shortage will end. Strict action will be taken against whoever indulges in black-marketing of these,” Jain added.
Speaking about rising COVID-19 cases, the minister said Delhi was conducting five times more tests than the average in the country.
“Delhi reported 23,686 new cases yesterday, and the positivity rate was around 26 per cent. Yesterday, COVID tests of about 90,000 people were conducted in Delhi, which is five times higher than the average of the whole country,” he said.
“Till yesterday, COVID hospitals in Delhi had a total of 18,231 beds, out of which 3,000 were empty,” Jain said, adding that about 100 ICU beds were available.
He said the city government would prepare extensively for vaccination by increasing the number of inoculation centres. There are already more than 500 such centres in Delhi, Jain added.
Jain also claimed that if the Centre allowed the city government to open vaccination centres in schools and community centres in the national capital, it will be able to complete the inoculation drive at a steadier rate.
“We had also asked the central government to give some permissions in opening new vaccination centres. We demanded that vaccination centres be allowed to be opened in schools and community centres. If this permission is granted, then we will be able to do vaccination very fast,” he added.
Jain also said that the coronavirus test results are now coming in 24 hours.
“Delhi has witnessed an unprecedented surge in cases. So, people are now scared and now everybody wants to get tested. The reports should come within 24 hours. If the test report is delayed, it will be of no use. Those who have symptoms of COVID-19 may be preferred in the test. About one lakh tests are being conducted every day in Delhi. Recently, reports were coming in three-four days, but now reports are coming in 24 hours,” he said.
In an appeal to migrant workers in the city, the minister said Delhi has imposed a very “short lockdown” and that they must not leave the national capital. The Delhi government will take care of their needs, he added.
Earlier in the day, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said around 2,700 more beds will be added at different hospitals and facilities in the national capital in the next few days for COVID-19 patients.
On Monday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced a six-day lockdown in the national capital, which will be in place till 5 am on April 26, saying it was necessary as the citys health system was stretched to its limit.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Federal staff and is auto-published from a syndicated feed.)
