Delhi needs 3 lakh protective kits to fight Covid-19, has only 1.47 lakh

Of this, the government so far has been able to make arrangements for only 1.47 lakh PPE kits, which will be used from this weekend.

The Delhi government, gauging the current rate of hospitalisations for Covid-19 and those being sent to state-run quarantine centres, has projected a requirement of 3 lakh personal protective equipment (PPE) kits for the national capital.

The shortage of these kits, though not immediate, has forced the Delhi government to even change its appeal from seeking donations for the CM’s relief fund to asking MLAs, MPs, NGOs, private firms and other stakeholders to provide PPE kits instead. (S Khanna/HT Photo)

Of this, the government so far has been able to make arrangements for only 1.47 lakh PPE kits, which will be used from this weekend.

A senior official in the Delhi government’s health department said that at present, the city has stocks that would last for around 4 days only.

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“We have 5,000 PPE kits at our warehouse and a total of around 4,000 kits available at various hospitals, quarantine centres, testing labs and so on. This is enough to last a week,” the official said.

On an average, around 2,500 PPE kits are required for use in the city on a daily basis.

To ensure adequate availability of PPE kits — which includes full-body suits, goggles, masks, gloves and shoe covers — for at least a month and to be prepared for any contingency, like the Nizamuddin Markaz case, the Delhi government has placed an order for 1.2 lakh kits and arranged for another 27,000 from the Centre, bringing the total to 1.47 lakh.

An official in chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s office said that 27,000 kits are currently with the DRDO for disinfection.

Kejriwal, in a digital address on Monday, thanked the Central government for allotting kits for Delhi and said they would be delivered to the Delhi government in a day or two.

“This is a great step towards ensuring the safety of our doctors. The Delhi government, the Central government, and the people are collectively fighting the battle against Covid-19. I hope that we will overcome the virus very soon,” he said.

The other 1.2 lakh kits are being bought directly by the central procurement agency (CPA), which is responsible for buying medicines, consumables and equipment for Delhi government-run hospitals.

“The kits are now arriving in batches of 3,000-4,000 a day. Earlier, they were coming at a rate of 1,500-2,000, which was ramped up after several meetings with the concessionaire. Given the present scenario, the current rate of arrival of PPE kits is manageable. But, if there is another Markaz like case, then Delhi can slip into a crisis,” said a senior official in the Delhi government.

At least 329 of the total 525 coronavirus cases in Delhi have been linked to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation, which took place in the Nizamuddin Markaz in mid-March. The demand for PPE kits has grown substantially among medical staff, after at least 24 healthcare workers — doctors, nurses and sanitation staff — contracted Covid-19 in the city.

Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain said that apart from arrangements made by the government, hospitals also now have the power to procure such kits on their own from private manufacturers.

But, a senior official in Delhi’s Lok Nayak hospital said that the process was “time consuming”.

“The issue is that the PPE kits have to meet the standards specified by the government and the rate per kit has to be either Rs 1087.47 or less. So, a lot of time goes in the verification process. Our staff is already working round-the-clock, tending to Covid-19 patients. Besides, only a few supply kits that are actually up to the mark,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

The shortage of these kits, though not immediate, has forced the Delhi government to even change its appeal from seeking donations for the CM’s relief fund to asking MLAs, MPs, NGOs, private firms and other stakeholders to provide PPE kits instead.

Kejriwal also did the same when Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) east Delhi MP Gautam Gambhir offered a total of Rs 1 crore to the Delhi government to buy PPE kits and masks for doctors and nurses.

Thanking Gambhir for his initiative on Twitter, Kejriwal wrote, “Gautam, thank you for your offer. The problem is not of money but availability of PPE kits. We would be grateful if you could help us get them from somewhere immediately. Delhi government will buy them. Thank you .”