Delhi: Non-Covid ICUs at 75% occupancy, Covid-19 ICUs at 53%

Currently, there are over 15,800 beds earmarked for the treatment of Covid-19 patients, and over 10,700 of them are vacant. The number of Covid-19 hospitalisations has reduced to just over 5,000 as compared to over 7,000 at its peak during the September surge

Over 75% of intensive care unit (ICU) beds for non-Covid-19 patients in Delhi beds are occupied. There are 1,522 ICU beds—with and without ventilators—for the treatment of patients with illnesses other than Covid-19, shows the government’s ‘Delhi Corona’ app, much lesser than the ones earmarked for the disease.

The government has provided data on non-Covid-19 ICU beds in the app after the high court had asked it about the availability of ICU beds for non Covid-19 patients while listening to a petition on the reservation of ICU beds for Covid-19 patients at 33 big hospitals in the city. (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

There are 3,171 ICU beds earmarked for the treatment of Covid-19 patients in Delhi currently. With the city recording fewer cases over the last two weeks in the city, the occupancy of the Covid-19 ICU beds has reduced to just over 50%.

Currently, there are over 15,800 beds earmarked for the treatment of Covid-19 patients, and over 10,700 of them are vacant. The number of Covid-19 hospitalisations has reduced to just over 5,000 as compared to over 7,000 at its peak during the September surge.

The government has provided data on non-Covid-19 ICU beds in the app after the high court had asked it about the availability of ICU beds for non Covid-19 patients while listening to a petition on the reservation of ICU beds for Covid-19 patients at 33 big hospitals in the city.

In September, when the number of cases started going up, the ICUs of many of the big private hospitals like Max, Apollo, Fortis, and Gangaram started filling up. The Delhi government then ordered 33 of the big hospitals to reserve 80% of their total ICU beds for the treatment of Covid-19 patients. This was challenged in the high court as this would have prevented the hospitals from carrying out other surgeries.

The order was stayed by the court stating that it was “arbitrary”, “unreasonable”, and in violation of the fundamental rights of an individual. An expert committee has now suggested that Delhi will see a massive surge in cases in the winter months with 15,000 cases every day.