Hospitals in Delhi resume non-Covid-19 care as fifth wave flattens out

After nearly a month, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi on Friday resumed inpatient admissions, including elective surgeries, citing the city’s easing Covid-19 cases and admissions graph.

With Covid-19 cases in the Capital declining steadily, and with fewer patients requiring institutional care, government and private hospitals in the city are now resuming services for non-Covid patients.

On Friday, the Capital added 2,272 new Covid infections, with the positivity rate falling to 3.85%, down from 4.3% a day ago. (Reuters file photo. Representative image)

After nearly a month, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi on Friday resumed inpatient admissions, including elective surgeries, citing the city’s easing Covid-19 cases and admissions graph.

“In view of the decreasing need of hospitalisation of Covid-19 positive patients and also considering the relaxation of curbs imposed earlier as announced by the Delhi government, it has been decided that routine inpatient admissions including elective surgeries in general wards as well as private wards in AIIMS hospital and all centres be resumed with immediate effect on restricted basis as per availability of staff, inpatient beds and OT (operation theatre) services,” said a notice issued by AIIMS’ medical superintendent Dr DK Sharma on Friday.

The Delhi government on Friday also issued an order to resume routine and elective surgeries at Lok Nayak Hospital and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital in view of the dip in cases.

On Friday, the Capital added 2,272 new Covid infections, with the positivity rate falling to 3.85%, down from 4.3% a day ago.

Delhi added an average of just over 3,000 cases each day over the past week, down from 5,900 a week ago.

Of the 15,426 hospital beds reserved for Covid-19 patients, just 7.8% (1,200) beds were occupied on Friday, with over 92% vacant.

Senior doctors at Lok Nayak Hospital, the largest Covid facility in the city, affirmed that admissions of the infection had dipped over the past two weeks.

“During this wave, there were generally fewer hospitalisations compared to previous ones, and the period of hospital stay was also shorter. Only those who had previous medical conditions or were unvaccinated were impacted seriously this time,” said Dr Suresh Kumar, medical director, Lok Nayak Hospital.

Many private hospitals also said their OPDs were back at near-normal strength.

“The OPDs are pretty busy now. It has come back to around 80-90% of its original rush. Surgeries are also resuming...we are getting back to normal,” said Dr Bishnu Panigrahi, group head (medical strategy and operations) at Fortis Healthcare.