Have Increased Number Of ICU Beds: Delhi To High Court

The AAP government on Thursday told the Delhi High Court that it has augmented the number of ICU beds in its hospitals and private ones and was also in the process of procuring more breathing support systems for patients suffering from COVID-19.

The submissions were made in a status report filed before a bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad, detailing the steps taken by the Delhi government for dealing with the rising number of coronavirus cases in the national capital.

In its status report, filed through additional standing counsel Satyakam, the Delhi government has said that it has increased from 1.261 to 1.722 and from 111 to 2,182, the number of ICU beds in its hospitals and private hospitals, respectively.

"Similarly, ICU beds in hospitals under the aegis of the central government have increased from 89 to 567," the report said and added that it was procuring BiPAP breathing support systems for 512 ICU beds which would be done in 8-10 days.

Besides that, 13 COVID care centres with a total capacity of 8,217 beds, six COVID health centres having 882 beds and one quarantine centre with capacity of 56 have been put in place in the national capital, the report said.

It further said that people were being admitted to the care centres and health centres at the discretion of the district administration based on assessment of health condition of patients and facilities at their homes for isolating or quarantining them.

With regard to publicising availability of ICU beds in Delhi government and private hospitals, the court was told that the numbers were available on the Delhi Corona App on real time basis and grade 1 officers have been appointed to ensure the numbers are updated and displayed in real time.

On this aspect, the bench directed that the details, including names and numbers, of the grade 1 officers and senior nursing officers be prominently displayed at the reception area of the private hospitals.

The court also directed that details of the number of calls made to helpline number 1031 in the month of November and how each of them were resolved be also indicated in the next status report to be filed by December 3.

Another step taken by the Delhi government were the Information Education and Communications (IEC) or outreach programs under which masks, hand sanitizers and pamphlets to generate awareness have been distributed to the people, the status report said.

The report was filed in a PIL by advocate Rakesh Malhotra seeking increase in the COVID-19 testing numbers in the national capital and getting speedy results.