Covid-19: Kejriwal instructs officials to ensure availability of beds, oxygen supply

Delhi CM Kejriwal also instructed that no life should be lost due to the shortage of medical oxygen and the vaccination drive should be complete in three months.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday instructed officers to ensure that there is no shortage of beds, now that the oxygen supply situation is coming under control, reported news agency ANI. In a high-level meeting to review the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) situation in Delhi, Kejriwal also instructed that no life should be lost due to the shortage of medical oxygen and the vaccination drive should be complete in three months, reported the news agency.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. (ANI Photo)

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Earlier in the day, the Delhi government passed an order directing MS/MD/directors of all hospitals and nursing homes to update the bed availability status on the Delhi Corona app/portal frequently, but no later than two hours. The order was aimed to help prevent hardships faced by the public due to the non-availability of the beds.

The Capital is among the worst hit by the second wave of Covid-19 and the healthcare system was caught underprepared during the destructive wave. Delhi witnessed an acute paucity of all essential medical supplies, like vaccines, drugs, oxygen and hospital beds required for Covid-19 treatment. Many lives were lost due to the shortage of oxygen in the hospitals.

In the meeting, the chief minister also directed the district magistrates to visit two to three vaccination centres daily for inspection and to pay surprise visits to relief camps and old age homes, reported ANI.

On Thursday, Kejriwal said that the Aam Aadmi Party-led government will set up 48 oxygen plants, including 21 that are being imported from France, across Delhi to meet the demand for the life-saving gas that is on peak due to the rising number of infections.

Delhi reported 19,832 new Covid-19 infections in the last 24 hours, while 341 people lost their lives to the illness, according to the daily health bulletin. The positivity rate now stands at 24.92 per cent with an active caseload of over 91,000, the bulletin showed.