ICU beds reservation for Covid-19 treatment in 33 Delhi private hospitals reduced to 60%

The court had, on December 24, said it would be “inhumane” to have 80% ICU beds in almost three dozen private hospitals of the city reserved only for Covid-19 patients, especially when the positivity rate and cases in the city were falling.

The Delhi government on Sunday told the Delhi high court that it has accepted the recommendation of the de-escalation committee of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) and reduced the reservation of Covid-19 intensive care unit (ICU) beds from 80% to 60% in 33 private hospitals.

Medical workers take care of patients suffering from the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital in New Delhi. (REUTERS)

The court had, on December 24, said it would be “inhumane” to have 80% ICU beds in almost three dozen private hospitals of the city reserved only for Covid-19 patients, especially when the positivity rate and cases in the city were falling. The court was hearing a plea by the Association of Health Providers challenging the government’s September 12 decision reserving 80% ICU beds in 33 private hospitals in Delhi for the treatment of Covid-19 patients. The court said the order had to be removed if beds remained vacant.

The government on Sunday also passed an order, signed by Delhi’s health and family welfare secretary Amit Singla, ratifying the move to reduce reserved ICU beds.

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On December 24, the government had informed the court that an expert committee has recommended reducing the reservation to 60%. The government counsel had also assured the court that the Delhi government is going to pass an executive order for the reservation of beds on the recommendations of the committee by the DDMA.

Additional solicitor general (ASG) Sanjay Jain, appearing for the government, had told the court a meeting would be held on December 26 in this regard, where the views of Dr VK Paul of Niti Aayog and Dr Randeep Guleria, director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) will be considered while passing an order on reservation of ICU beds for Covid patients.

“In supersession of the order dated 12.09.2020, COVID ICU beds in 33 Hospitals shall be de-escalated to 60% from existing 80%, freeing up 20% COVID ICU beds for NON COVID,” the order passed on Sunday read.

In the meeting on December 26, both Dr Paul and Dr Guleria agreed with the DDMA de-escalation committee’s recommendation.

However, the Delhi government in an affidavit on Sunday said they would not consider any further de-escalations in the wake of the new strain of the Sars-Cov-2 virus detected in the United Kingdom, as well as with Christmas and New Year’s celebrations in mind. The government said it will review the situation on January 15 next year.

The government, in an affidavit filed through advocate Sanjoy Ghose, additional standing counsel, has said that the expert committee took note of the declining trend of COVID infection in the NCT of Delhi.

“The new UK strain of COVID-19 is a new development which has witnessed itself to the country very recently. The new strain situation is still evolving in the country. About 20,622 persons have landed from UK (combined list of APHO and Nodal Officer Vande Bharat Mission, GNCT of Delhi) in Delhi, from Nov 25 to December 23. Further till now about 19 UK returnees have tested positive and their genome sequencing in underway in NCDC,” the affidavit said.

“In view of the unfolding situation of the new strain, we are of the view that we should take abundant precaution and abrupt de-escalation is not advisable at this juncture,” it added.

The matter is now likely to be heard on December 28.