The national capital recorded 11,491 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the Delhi State Health bulletin showed on Monday evening. This is the steepest ever daily rise in new Covid-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic last year.
As many as 72 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, and as many as 92,397 tests were conducted. Test positivity ratio shot up to 12.44 per cent, raising concern that the pandemic may have gone beyond control in the ongoing wave.
Given the massive spike in Covid cases in the capital, 14 top private hospitals in Delhi have been fully turned into Covid-only facilities, as per orders issued by the Delhi government on Monday. A total of 3,202 general beds and 1,135 beds will now be fully dedicated for Covid-19 patients in the 14 hospitals.
Those hospitals which have been declared as fully Covid hospital include Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Sir Ganga Ram, Holy Family, Maharaja Agarsen Hospital (Punjabi Bagh), Max Hospital (Shalimar Bagh), Fortis Hospital (Shalimar Bagh), Venkateshwar Hospital, Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, Jaipur Golden Hospital, Mata Chanan Devi Hospital, Pushpawati Singhania Research Institute, Manipal Hospital and Saroj Super Specialty Hospital.
“Fourteen private hospitals declared fully Covid. In other hospitals, beds increased from 50% to 60%. Total 2,060 beds increased in private hospitals,” tweeted Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain.
The orders were issued hours after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held a meeting with top officials to review the Covid-19 situation in Delhi. During the meeting, it was decided that the number of beds will be augmented in both the private and government sector.
Apart from this, 60% of the total ward capacity in 101 private hospitals has to be reserved for Covid-19 treatment. This means 5,689 general beds in 101 private hospitals will be earmarked for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.
“In order to augment the bed capacity for Covid-19 patients in view of the unprecedented surge of Covid-19 cases in the last few days, 14 private hospitals are declared as full Covid hospitals and are directed that henceforth these hospitals shall not admit any non-Covid medical/surgical patients till further notice. Further, 101 private hospitals are directed to reserve 60% of their total ward bed capacity for Covid-related treatment,” stated the order issued by the state health department on Monday.
This is the third such order in the last two weeks. On March 31, the Delhi government had added 230 ICU beds and 842 general beds in 33 private hospitals after witnessing a rise in the daily number of Covid-19 cases. On April 5, the Delhi government had ordered 54 private hospitals and 11 Delhi government hospitals to increase the number of beds in general ward and ICU for the patients infected with Covid-19.
Welcoming the order, BJP and Congress said that Kejriwal should provide facilities in government hospitals and not benefit the private hospitals. They said the Kejriwal government should also ensure that ICU wards and oxygen beds are available in these hospitals.