Covid admissions to peak at 46k: Experts

Lieutenant governor Anil Baijal chaired a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Monday to review the city’s preparedness for the Covid-19 surge across the country.

Contrary to the estimate of about 64,000 beds made by the Delhi government in November-December, the city administration on Monday said experts have suggested that the maximum bed requirement even in the worst case scenario during the ongoing wave of Covid-19 could go up to 46,000 beds.

The government has estimated it will require 13,800 beds if daily cases touch 30,000. (Representational image/ANI)

Lieutenant governor Anil Baijal chaired a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Monday to review the city’s preparedness for the Covid-19 surge across the country. During the meeting, the state health department, after inputs from experts, presented five scenarios to escalate the number of Covid-19 beds in the city.

Keeping the percentage of Covid-19 positive patients requiring hospitalisations at 5%, the government has estimated it will require 13,800 beds if daily cases touch 30,000. This scenario will include 8,400 oxygen beds and 5,400 intensive care units beds.

The second scenario is if daily cases hit 40,000, when the estimated number of hospitalisations will be 2,000 and total beds required will be 18,400 (11,200 oxygen and 7,200 ICU beds).

The final, and worst-case, scenario sees Delhi adding 100,000 cases a day, with 5,000 hospitalisations, which will see the city need 46,000 beds.

Reports seen by HT showed that at present Delhi had 31,695 Covid beds ready as on Monday, of which 9,844 were ICU beds.

The immediate target for authorities is to escalate this to 37,000 beds, of which 10,594 will be intensive care unit ones. “The DDMA was satisfied that this target has almost been achieved by now. All of these beds are oxygenated beds. Going by the current trend, experts have suggested that Delhi may require up to 46,000 Covid beds only, but we have a plan ready even for 50,000 beds and 64,000 beds, the detailed plan for which chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had already announced on November 30 last year,” said senior government official.

Even as more than 1,200 healthcare professionals across Delhi have tested positive for the virus over the last 10 days, Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain said that nearly 200,000 workers were prepared to handle the Covid surge in the capital.