Delhi govt lets pvt 'COVID facilities' to keep beds for non-COVID patients

Delhi government has revised its earlier decision, declaring 14 private hospitals in the city as "full COVID-19" facilities, to allow certain beds to be used for non-COVID patients as well. In its new order, the govt has decided that out of the total 4,437 beds in these facilities, 3,553 would be reserved for COVID-related treatment.

New Delhi: Days after declaring 14 private hospitals in the city as "full COVID-19" facilities, the Delhi government on Wednesday revised its decision to allow certain beds to be used for non-COVID patients as well.

These included Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in Sarita Vihar, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Holy Family Hospital, Max SS Hospital and Fortis Hospital in Shalimar Bagh.

The Delhi government had on Monday directed these 14 hospitals not to admit any non-COVID patients till further orders.

However, in a revised order on Wednesday, it said the city health minister held a meeting with representatives of these hospitals, in which it was decided that out of the total 4,437 beds in these facilities, 3,553 would be reserved for COVID-related treatment.

A senior official of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital said, "Our hospital is fully committed to the government's fight against COVID-19. We welcome this revised order as it will help save lives of critically ill non-COVID patients in addition to those with COVID-19."

Delhi recorded 17,282 fresh cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, the highest single-day surge in the national capital since the onset of the pandemic, while over 100 fatalities were reported, according to data shared by the health department.

As per the latest bulletin, 104 new fatalities were recorded in the city, pushing the death toll to 11,540.

PTI