As Covid-19 cases soar in capital, Delhi govt reads riot act to hospitals

The national capital so far has recorded 761 deaths due to coronavirus, the Delhi government said in its health bulletin on Saturday.

The Delhi government on Saturday warned hospitals not to deny treatment to patients with symptoms of coronavirus as Covid-19 cases in the national capital soared to 27,654 with 1,320 cases.

A medical professional seen wearing PPE as a precautionary measure while interacting with patients in Ram Manohar Lohia hospital, New Delhi, India, on Saturday, June 6, 2020. (Raj K Raj/HT photo)

On Saturday, 349 people were declared cured while there are still 16,229 active cases. The national capital has recorded 761 casualties so far, the Delhi government said in its health bulletin.

The government also issued a slew of orders including one to all state-run Covid-19 hospitals that no patient with symptoms of coronavirus should be denied admission.

“An order has been issued to all dedicated Covid hospitals under GNCT of Delhi that no patient who is having Covid symptoms and id in moderate or severe category be denied admission that the patient is not having Covid positive report,” the government said in its health bulletin.

The order came on the heels of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal warning hospitals earlier in the day of stern action for “lying about the number of beds” they had for Covid-19 patients. He also accused them of extortion during the pandemic.

Saturday evening’s order also acknowledged a surge in Covid-19 case and said that the government is in the process of procuring sufficient stock of surgical consumables, oxygen masks, PPE kits, gloves etc.