Shortage of beds due to outstation patients: Delhi Health Minister

Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain on Monday attributed the shortage of beds to the steady stream of people, especially the migrant workers, arriving in the nation's capital and getting treated for coronavirus here.

New Delhi:Amid a surge in coronavirus cases across India, shortages of beds in the intensive care unit (ICU)'s of various hospitals in Delhi have again become an issue.

Blaming the migrants from other states for the problem, the Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain today said, due to a number of people coming to the capital and getting treated, shortage of beds is happening.

"Those who are coming to Delhi to get treated for Coronavirus already book a bed for themselves at the biggest hospitals here. Some decide to go to Max hospital, some go to Fortis. It is because of this, even the biggest hospitals are facing bed shortages," Jain said.

He further added that all these patients coming to Delhi, only do so when the health deteriorates and they need ICU care.

Giving data on the issue the Minister said that till now around 1500 people who are not from Delhi have been admitted in the hospitals in the capital.

However, he also added that around 1000 more beds are available with various hospitals as recently, new beds were added.

On the hospital apps showing skewed data, Jain said that since people try and book a bed via call but the hospital administration gives away the bed for the needy patient, the mismatch happens.

Jain also quashed rumours on the dearth of plasma therapy in Delhi and said the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) hospital has a fully functioning lab from where anyone can get plasma for treatment.

The national capital's COVID-19 case count went past 2.46 lakh on Sunday with 3,812 more people contracting the viral disease, while 37 fresh fatalities pushed the death count to 4,982, officials said.