Covid Surge: Delhi Govt Asks Private Hospitals To Reserve 50% Beds For Coronavirus Patients

As per the order, these hospitals have been exempted to temporarily increase their total bed capacity by 25% but only the condition that corona patients would be treated on those new beds.

(File Photo/ Getty)

New Delhi: With the private hospitals in Delhi witnessing a spike in the occupancy of ICU ventilator beds courtesy the increase in coronavirus cases, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government has issued an order directing to reserve 50% of the total ICU and general beds capacity in 115 private hospitals for Covid-19 patients.

As per the order, these hospitals have been exempted to temporarily increase their total bed capacity by 25% but only the condition that corona patients would be treated on those new beds. The 115 private hospitals mentioned in the order currently have 50 or more beds.

The Delhi Government has issued orders for raising beds in private hospitals for the third time within nine days.

Earlier on March 31, the Delhi Government had ordered to increase the number of ICUs and beds in 33 large private hospitals.

Amid the rise in Covid-19 cases, orders were given on April 5 to increase ICUs and beds in 54 large private hospitals.

The orders have now been issued to increase the ICUs and beds in 115 hospitals.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called for mass vaccination programme from April 11 to April 14 while urging the states to intensify their efforts on war-footing.

Prime Minister Modi, who interacted with the Chief Ministers of various states on Covid situation via video conferencing, stressed on the need to create micro containment zones to effectively contain the rising cases.

(With inputs from Anjali Singh)