Delhi CM Kejriwal lays foundation for 1.4k bed Shalimar Bagh hospital

Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain and Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Shalimar Bagh Vandana Kumari also attended the event.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday laid the foundation stone for the construction of a 1,430-bed hospital in northwest Delhi’s Shalimar Bagh, and said that work on construction of six more government hospitals will begin in the next six months, highlighting the importance of scaling up health care infrastructure in the light of any possible future waves of Covid-19.

He said that as a responsible government they are taking all steps needed to face any possible “third wave” of the coronavirus pandemic. (HT_PRINT)

“The Delhi government is revolutionising health care services in the state as a part of its resolve to give better facilities to the common man. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, in the same prospect today, laid the foundation stone of a new hospital with a capacity of 1,430 beds at Shalimar Bagh. Being constructed at a cost of ₹275 crores, this hospital will be ready in six months,” the Delhi government said in a statement.

“Earlier it used to cost ₹1 crore to build a normal hospital bed, but our government is spending only ₹20 lakh to create an intensive care unit bed. Seven new such hospitals (including the one in Shalimar Bagh) are to be built in different areas of Delhi by the health department of Delhi government in six months,” Kejriwal said, according to the statement.

Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain and Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Shalimar Bagh Vandana Kumari also attended the event.

“A new government hospital with 1,430 beds is being built in Shalimar Bagh. In the time of Covid, the whole world has understood the need for medical facilities. I would like to congratulate the people of Delhi on the fact that their government has been working constantly to strengthen the medical facilities of the city since day one,” the chief minister said.

‘Bolstering health care infra to tackle Covid-19’

He said that as a responsible government they are taking all steps needed to face any possible “third wave” of the coronavirus pandemic.

“If there is a third wave of Covid-19 at any point, then as a responsible government, we are taking all important steps needed. Just in the month of April, when the second wave of Covid-19 came, the hospitals had the biggest shortage of oxygen and ICU beds. In this view, the Delhi government has taken a big step. The Delhi government is going to build seven new hospitals in different areas of Delhi, which will have a total capacity of 6,800 beds, and all these seven hospitals will be ready within six months. I think it will probably be a world record that within six months seven hospitals with a capacity of 6,800 beds will be ready.”

The chief minister also said that the government will develop and implement an international standard system for medical care and facilities, and mentioned his government’s plan to implement the Health Information Management System (HIMS).

“Within the next one-and-a-half year, every citizen of Delhi will have their own health card. Whether poor or rich, all the data of their health will be on the computer. The person will not have to carry any slip. They can go to any hospital, all the old X-ray reports from his childhood till date, and all the data will be on the computer. You will not need to go anywhere, you will go straight to the doctor and the doctor will be waiting for you. Whoever has a health card in his hand, his entire treatment will be free,” Kejriwal said.

Health minister Jain tweeted, “Delhi government is going to build another state-of-the-art hospital for the people of Delhi. Its foundation was laid by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in Shalimar Bagh today. The construction work of this hospital with a capacity of 1,430 beds will be completed in the next 6 months.”

During the event, a ‘havan’ was also performed and Kejriwal along with Jain participated in the ritual according to traditions and unveiled a commemorative stone plaque.