Delhi's Bara Hindu Rao Hospital designated as COVID-19 hospital
Jun 14, 2020
New Delhi [India], June 14 : With the surge in coronavirus cases, the Delhi Government on Sunday declared Bara Hindu Rao Hospital run by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) as a designated COVID-19 hospital.
Vikram Dev Dutt, Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare department of the Delhi government wrote a letter to the Medical Superintendent of Bara Hindu Rao Hospital asking him to make all hospital beds available to admit COVID-19 patients by June 16. The hospital has around 1,000 beds.
"In view of the projections of a surge in COVID-19 cases and the necessity of augmenting bed capacity urgently, in the exercise of powers under Delhi Epidemic COVID-19 Regulations, 2020 and The Epidemic Act, 1897, Bara Hindu Rao Hospital running under North Delhi Municipal Corporation is hereby declared as designated COVID-19 Hospital," read the letter.
"Medical Superintendent, Bara Hindu Rao Hospital is directed to make all hospital beds available to admit COVID-19 patients as per the laid down protocol by June 16, 2020," it said.
Delhi has recorded a total of 38,958 coronavirus cases, out of which 22,742 are active in the city. So far, 14,945 have been cured/migrated in the capital and 1,271 have died due to the lethal infection.
Earlier in the day, Union Home Minister Amit Shah met Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Health Minister Satyendar Jain to discuss the coronavirus situation in the national capital.
Later, Shah said that a comprehensive health survey of every person would be conducted in the containment zones of the national capital to check the spread of coronavirus.
"To be able to do contact mapping well in Delhi's containment zones, a comprehensive health survey of every person will be done from house to house. The report will come in one week. Aarogya Setu app will be downloaded in every person's mobile," he tweeted.
"Testing for the infection will be doubled in the next two days in the capital and tripled in six days," he added.
The Union Minister also said that a committee would be set up for 60 per cent beds in private hospitals at a lower rate for coronavirus patients.
"For the treatment of patients in private hospitals in the capital, a committee has been formed under the leadership of Dr Paul to provide 60 per cent of the beds in these hospitals at a low rate, to fix treatment and COVID-19 testing which will submit its report by tomorrow," he said.
"In a bid to provide correct information and guidelines for COVID-19 to small hospitals in Delhi, the Central government has decided to constitute a committee of senior doctors for telephonic guidance in AIIMS. The helpline number will be released tomorrow," he added.
