For G20 Event, Ambulances To Be Put At Strategic Locations: Delhi Minister

Ambulances will be positioned at strategic locations in Delhi for the G20 Summit, Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said on Monday. The G20 Leaders' Summit is scheduled to be held on September 9-10. 

The summit is likely to be attended by more than 30 heads of state and top officials from the European Union and invited guest countries and 14 heads of international organisations.

Five government hospitals and three private medical facilities in the national capital have been put on "high alert" in view of the summit, Bharadwaj said on August 30.

On Monday, he told PTI, "No fund has come from the Centre. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has directed that Delhi government funds be spent. We have no problem with it because it is a matter that concerns the country."

The Delhi government has readied five of its hospitals, rooms and beds have been earmarked for emergency, and doctors and paramedical staff will be deployed round-the-clock at hotels where the delegates will stay.

Ambulances will accompany the carcades and also be positioned at strategic locations, Mr Bharadwaj said as he called the summit a "big moment" for the country.

"In Delhi, we have the central government and a city government. Both want to together show good work so that the visiting guests remember Delhi, its people and the Delhi government and the central government," he told reporters.

The health department has formed 80 teams of doctors and nursing staff to serve the guests at the hotels. Of these, 75 teams will work in shifts, officials have said.

Mr Bharadwaj recently convened a meeting at the Delhi Secretariat to take stock of healthcare arrangements for the summit.

"In light of the G20 Summit, the Delhi government has placed five major government hospitals and three private hospitals on high alert to ensure the health care arrangements are in place. These include primarily Lok Nayak Hospital, GB Pant Hospital, GTB Hospital, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital and Babasaheb Ambedkar Hospital, along with private facilities Primus Hospital Chanakyapuri, Max Hospital Saket and Manipal Hospital Dwarka," he had said.

Lok Nayak Hospital has reserved 20 rooms, GB Pant Hospital 10 rooms, GTB Hospital 20 beds, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital 65 beds, and Babasaheb Ambedkar Hospital 40 beds to address any situation that may arise during the summit, Bharadwaj was quoted as saying in a health department statement earlier.

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