Delhi govt partially opens the 500-bed ICU facility at Ramilia Grounds in east Delhi

The Delhi government on Wednesday partially opened a new 500-bed intensive care facility near Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital in east Delhi

The Delhi government on Wednesday partially opened a new 500-bed intensive care facility near Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital in east Delhi.

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“Today (Wednesday), nearly five patients were admitted to the ICU facility created at the Ramlila ground near GTB hospital. All 500 ICU beds have not been opened yet. We have started with nearly 100 beds for now since the requirement has marginally declined in recent days,” said a senior official, asking not to be named.

Explaining the admission process, a second health official said patients cannot approach the facility directly to get an admission. “Since this is a critical care centre or an ICU centre, admissions will be permitted only if the patient is referred here by the GTB hospital, to which this centre is attached. So, a person requiring treatment need to first go to the GTB hospital and doctors there will have to send them here,” the official said.

The temporary facility is fully air-conditioned, has oxygen generation plants and free Wi-Fi for patients. A senior official of the public works department (PWD), which built the facility, said the centre was created in a record time of 10 days.

A similar facility is being created at the main Ramlila Ground near Lok Nayak hospital. This will also have 500 ICU beds and will be ready in a day or two, the first official quoted above said.

On April 27, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced the setting up of these two intensive care facilities at the Ramlila grounds in central Delhi and east Delhi as well as adding 200 ICU beds at the Sardar Patel Covid Care Centre. He had said the state would have an additional 1,200 beds for Covid treatment by May 10.