Delhi govt to convert 61 private hospitals into COVID-only facilities

These were earlier told to reserve 20 per cent of their beds for COVID-19 patients

covid-delhi-pti Suspected COVID-19 patients wait to be examined by medics at a government hospital in New Delhi | PTI

As the number of COVID-19 cases surges in the capital and amidst reports of patients of the viral infection finding it difficult to get admitted in hospitals, the Delhi government is planning to designate 61 private hospitals as fully dedicated COVID-19 facilities.

Five hospitals belonging to the Delhi government and three private hospitals had earlier been designated as COVID-only facilities. Three more private hospitals were added to the list on Thursday.

As many as 61 private hospitals had earlier been asked by the Delhi government to reserve 20 per cent of their beds for COVID-19 patients. It has now been decided that if these hospitals are finding it difficult to manage COVID and non-COVID together, they could be turned into COVID-only hospitals.

“We had asked 61 private hospitals to keep 20 per cent of their beds for COVID-19 patients. The hospitals, however, said they were finding it difficult to manage both COVID and non-COVID patients. We will turn these 61 hospitals into fully-COVID hospitals by tomorrow if they cannot handle both COVID and non-COVID patients together,” Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said.

“We do not want to get entangled in data. We are not in competition with other states. Our focus is on saving lives,” Sisodia said.

Health Minister Satyender Jain said that the policy being followed by his government is that only moderately ill and critical COVID patients need to be admitted in hospital, and those who are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms can recover at home.

As on June 3, as many as 3,446 COVID-19 patients were admitted in Delhi's hospitals. As per the Delhi government's data, as many as 4,940 COVID-19 beds are unoccupied. A total of 255 patients are in Intensive Care Unit, and 153 ICU beds are unoccupied. So far, 8,405 COVID-19 patients have been placed in home isolation.