'Not The Time For Disagreements, LG's Order Shall Be Implemented,' Arvind Kejriwal On Delhi Hospital Row

This is not the time for disagreements and disputes, whatever the LG said will be implemented in letter and spirit, Kejriwal said on LG overruling Delhi cabinet's decision of reserving hospitals for residents.

New Delhi: Putting an end to the row with the Centre over his contentious decision regarding reservation of hospitals for Delhi locals, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, on Wednesday, said that the order of the Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal shall be implemented throughout the national capital. "This is not the time for disagreements and disputes, whatever the LG said will be implemented in letter and spirit," he said on LG’s over-ruling Delhi cabinet's decision of reserving hospitals for residents. He, however, maintained Delhi government's stand that the coming days will be challenging for the national capital.  Of the 31,000 Covid-19 cases reported in Delhi, 18,000 are active, he said. He reiterated deputy CM Manish Sisodia's remark that the Covid-19 cases will significantly increase in Delhi in coming days. 'We have a big challenge ahead,' he said. 'In Delhi, we will have around 5.32 lakh patients and will need 80,000 beds by July 31, and if patients coming from other states are included in the current requirements, then the figure will rise and we will need 1.5 lakh beds by the said time,' Kejriwal said. On Tuesday, after the DDMA meet, deputy CM Manish Sisodia had said cases in Delhi are doubling in 12-13 days and going by this rate the total number of cases in Delhi will cross 5.5 lakh by July 31, which leads to a requirement of 80,000 hospital beds." Watch here: This is Kejriwal’s first appearance after he tested negative for Coronavirus on Tuesday. ‘My Covid-19 test result has come negative. I thank everyone for their good wishes and blessings,’ he said. Asserting the importance of using masks in public, he said, “for everyone's safety, promoting social distancing and usage of masks has to be a people's movement... just like the odd-even scheme.” The row over hospital beds:  Delhi government and the Centre once again got locked into a clash, after Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal overturned Kejriwal government's decision of treating only Delhiites in the state and private hospitals of Delhi, for as long as the pandemic situation is there. However, the Centre-run hospitals and few specialized private hospitals where special surgeries like neurosurgery are performed, will continue to treat patients from all the states, he had said. Kejriwal said Delhi government has 10,000 beds in its hospitals, and Central hospitals have 10,000 beds. So in order to strike a balance, the decision was taken. However, the decision was overruled by the Centre. LG Baijal said that he was forced to strike down the order of the government, reserving hospitals in the national capital for city residents, as it violated constitutional right to equality and right to life which includes right to health. "The order violated constitutional right to equality and right to life which includes right to health. Earlier also, a similar order of Delhi government was struck down by the High Court on the ground that no citizen of India can be discriminated on the grounds of residence," he said.