MCDs offer community centres, stadiums to govt for setting up Covid-19 treatment facilities

Owing to the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the city, the three municipal corporations of Delhi on Thursday offered the Delhi government all community centres,

Owing to the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the city, the three municipal corporations of Delhi on Thursday offered the Delhi government all community centres, stadiums and other properties under their jurisdictions for setting up temporary hospitals to treat patients. In a joint press conference, the political representatives of the East, North and South Delhi municipal corporations said that the civic bodies are ready to “handover” their hospitals to the government for use as Covid-19 dedicated facilities.

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There are nearly 119 community centres, four stadiums and four sports complex under the North corporation. Hindu Rao is one of the largest hospitals in North Delhi with a 980-bed capacity. Kasturba Hospital has a 450-bed capacity.

There are around 100 community centres under the South corporation, while the East corporation representatives also offered to “handover” its Swami Dayanand hospital and all 71 community centres to deal with Covid-19 pandemic.

Jai Prakash, the standing committee chairperson at North Delhi Municipal Corporation, said that it is a time to defeat coronavirus, for which the municipalities and the Delhi government will have to work in “close coordination”.

“We are ready to give our hospitals, such as Hindu Rao and Kasturba Gandhi, to the government so that these could be developed as Covid-19 dedicated facilities and better treatment could be provided. Similarly, we are requesting the state government to use our community centres and stadiums for creation of temporary hospitals and isolation wards to fight the coronavirus pandemic,” he said.

Bhupendra Gupta, the South corporation’s standing committee chairperson, said that the government in April had dedicated the civic body’s Tilak Nagar super-speciality hospital as a Covid-19 dedicated facility, where six coronavirus patients being treated at present. “If the government wants, it can make our 100-bedded hospital at Kalkaji a Covid-19 dedicated facility. We are also offering all our community centres to be converted into isolation wards to meet the demand. We want to support the government, but they will have to provide resources,” Gupta said.

“Delhi’s private hospitals are charging arbitrary amounts from Covid-19 patients as their beds are full. The state government is saying that they need more spaces to create temporary hospitals and isolation wards, so we are offering them all our community centres for the same. If they want, they can also declare Swami Dayanand Hospital as a Covid-19 dedicated facility so that better treatment can be provided to the Covid-19 patients,” Anju Kamalkant, mayor of the East corporation, said.