Delhi govt orders nursing homes to treat Covid-19 patients

The Delhi government order says that complete nursing homes have been converted to Covid-19 hospitals in order to prevent intermixing of Covid and non-Covid patients.

The Delhi government on Saturday ordered all nursing homes in the city with 10 to 49 beds to start treating Covid-19 patients. Only standalone eye centre, ENT centres, Dialysis centres, Maternity homes and IVF centres will be exempt from this order.

Health workers seen in PPE kits outside Covid-19 ward, at Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi on Saturday. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

“The occupancy of the beds earmarked for Covid patients is displayed on a real-time basis in Delhi Corona App. More than 70% Covid beds in the private sector are already occupied. Further, it is projected that there would be a requirement of more than 15,000 Covid beds till June 30, and by the end of first fortnight of July, the requirement would further swell up to more than 33,000 beds,” the order read.

There are about 700 nursing homes in the city, most of which have around 20 beds, according to estimates by the Delhi Medical Association.

“All nursing homes in NCT of Delhi having a bed strength of 10 beds or up to 49 are declared as Covid nursing homes. All such nursing homes are required to make their Covid beds functional within three days of issue of order,” the Delhi government order read.

Action will be initiated against nursing homes that fail to do so, said the order issued by Dr RN Das, medical superintendent of nursing homes in Delhi’s directorate of health services.

The order says that complete nursing homes have been converted to Covid hospitals in order to prevent intermixing of Covid and non-Covid patients.

This was the major point of contention of several private hospitals when the Delhi government had issued orders to reserve 20% of the bed strength in 117 hospitals with 50 beds or more on May 24. The government has since asked some of these private hospitals to expand this to even 80% or 100% of their bed strength such as at Moolchand Hospital and Fortis Vasant Kunj.

So far, 97 private hospitals have started treatment for Covid-19 patients, according to the Delhi Corona App.

The number of admissions are on the rise, with 550 people getting admitted and 400 being discharged on Friday, as per data provided by the Delhi government on Saturday. As on Saturday night, the city had 9,724 beds earmarked for the treatment of Covid-19 patients, of which 5,449 were occupied.