Delhi Stadiums, Luxury Hotels To Be Roped In As Covid Facilities; Price To Be Capped At Rs 10k/Day In High-End Hotels

An upper price cap of Rs 10,000 per day per bed has been set for such hotel-stay facilities, which would provide beds, housekeeping, food as well as medical services.

New Delhi: Delhi’s stadiums and luxury hotels will be transformed in health care facilities to deal with the surge in Coornavirus cases in the National Capital Territory (NCT). During the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) meet on Tuesday, the Delhi government informed Lieutenant General Anil Baijal that the nearby 5/4 star hotels will be linked with big hospitals, in order to extend the Covid hospitals.

A press statement from the LG office said, "Eight hotels-hospitals have been linked to act as extended Covid Hospitals, approx."

An upper price cap of Rs 10,000 per day per bed has been set for such facilities, which would provide beds, housekeeping, food as well as medical services.

The information was shared by Principal Secretary (health) in the DDMA meet headed by Baijal. The District Magistrates are carrying out the exercise of linking 19 more hospitals with hotels which would tentatively increase the capacity by another 2,000 beds (approx.) by June 15.

Meanwhile, stadiums are also being roped in to deal with the spurt in Covid-19 numbers. A panel constituted by the LG has also suggested that Pragati Maidan, Talkatora Indoor Stadium, Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium and JLN Stadium can be used as makeshift COVID-19 facilities.

The official said that the panel, constituted by Lt Governor Baijal, has also suggested using Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium and Dhyanchand National Stadium for the purpose.

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On Tuesday, after the meeting, Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia  said that the numbers of Coronavirus will explode to 5.5 lakhs by the end of next month in Delhi, even though the centre denies community spread. Delhi will need 80,000 beds by July end, he asserted The lieutenant governor has refused to reconsider his decision to overrule the Delhi government's order reserving state-run and private hospitals for Delhiites, the deputy CM said, adding the LG's order has created a "major problem" in the national capital.

Reacting sharply, the LG office also said rather than discriminating among patients, the goal of the government should be to plan and prepare for adequate infrastructure. The Lt Governor is fully aware of the need to ramp up medical infrastructure, it said..

The fatality rate in Delhi is 2.92 per cent as compared to the national average of 2.81 per cent, recovery rate is 38 per cent, and test per million is 13,543 as compared to the national average of 3531 tests per million, the LG office said.

(with inputs from agencies)