L-G decision to keep beds open to all puts Delhi residents at disadvantage, say expert panel members

The lieutenant-governor’s decision to make available beds in Delhi hospitals to those living in NCR and other states will be detrimental to the residents of the

The lieutenant-governor’s decision to make available beds in Delhi hospitals to those living in NCR and other states will be detrimental to the residents of the city, said two of the members of a panel constituted by the government to aid the government in augmenting the city’s health care infrastructure.

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Delhi will need 80,000 beds by the end of July to treat patients with the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia told a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Tuesday, quoting the figures projected in a report prepared by the five-member expert panel, set up on June 2.

“We presented the data to predict that by June 15, there will be 44,000 Covid-19 cases in the national capital and 6,600 beds will be required. By June 30, we’ll reach one lakh cases and 15,000 beds will be required. By July 15, there will be 2.25 lakh cases and 33,000 beds will be required. By July 31, the number of cases will touch 5.5 lakh and 80,000 beds will be required,” Sisodia said.

With only those with severe infection being admitted to hospitals, the committee in its report said most of these beds have to be a level 3 or 4-- meaning they have to be equipped with high-flow oxygen and/or ventilators, the chairperson of the committee Dr Mahesh Verma had earlier told HT after submitting the report.

Cumulatively, there are currently just 57, 709 beds in government and private hospitals across the city, according to the latest Economic Survey of Delhi.

To combat the shortage of beds, the committee had suggested converting banquet halls, dharmashalas, and even open stadiums into makeshift hospitals.

“The committee has said Delhi will need 40,000 beds by mid-July. These calculations are based solely on Delhi’s population and the number of cases being reported from the city every day. Now, if these facilities were to be utilised by people from neighbouring states, the government will need to arrange thousands more beds over and above the projected requirement,” Dr RK Gupta, a member of the committee and former president of the Delhi Medical Association, said.

A second member of the committee said the state government was not in the wrong to restrict services in its own hospitals as health is a state subject.

“Health is a state subject and the government utilises the tax payers’ money on health care services. So a government’s primary responsibility is to the people of Delhi. The Delhi government order only kept aside Delhi government-run hospitals and some private hospitals for its residents; people from neighbouring states could still go to central government-run hospitals, hospitals run by civic bodies, or the super speciality private hospitals. Now, Delhi residents will be at a disadvantage,” Dr Arun Gupta, a member of the committee and president of the Delhi Medical Council, said.

Currently, there are 8,872 isolation beds for the treatment of Covid-19 patients in the city. Of these, 5,711 are in nine government hospitals and the other 3,161 across 91 private hospitals. The highest number of free beds currently available in the city are in Delhi government-run 2,000-bed Lok Nayak hospital and 1,500-bed Guru Teg Bahadur hospital.

“The Delhi government is planning to link hotels and dharamshalas to various government hospitals so that if anyone’s condition deteriorates they can be immediately shifted to these hospitals. The government would be providing the consumables but members of the Delhi Medical Association would like to provide manpower for these hotel clusters. We have already had a meeting with health minister Satyendar Jain and the details are being worked out,” Dr Girish Tyagi, president of the Delhi Medical Association, said.