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North corp reserves beds for Covid patients at Hindu Rao hospital
The move comes after Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday suggested that infrastructure at civic hospitals can be used to treat and isolate Covid-19 patients.
Keeping in mind the rising number of cases in the city, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation on Tuesday reserved 20 ICU beds at the 980-bedded Hindu Rao Hospital for critical Covid-19 patients and created another Covid isolation ward of 50 beds.
The move comes after Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday suggested that infrastructure at civic hospitals can be used to treat and isolate Covid-19 patients.
North corporation mayor Jai Prakash inspected the hospital and held a meeting with its authorities to review preparations to convert it into a dedicated Covid facility.
“The union home minister had said municipal hospitals can be used for Covid treatment. So we have earmarked 20 ICU beds for critical Covid-19 patients and set up a 50-bed Covid-19 isolation ward. A flu clinic has been started in the hospital. The hospital has started functioning partially as Covid-19 facility. Further arrangements such as logistical support and facility for doctors and nurses, who will treat Covid patients, to stay in the hospital premises or hotels are being made,” he said.
The 980-bedded Hindu Rao Hospital is the largest medical facility run by the north corporation and caters to a large population in north Delhi. The hospital was made a fully Covid-19 dedicated facility in June this yea after cases had started increasing in the city.
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Later in October 2020, the hospital was removed from the list of dedicated Covid facilities after its doctors had gone on strike demanding pending salaries.
The mayor said the number of beds in the isolation ward will be increased to 200 and ICU beds will be augmented. He requested the Delhi government to provide logistical support to convert the hospital into a Covid-19 facility.
“Utilisation of health infrastructure at municipal hospitals will certainly help in coping with the sudden surge in the demand for Covid-19 beds. We are ready to help but we need logistical support from the government. I have written to the Delhi government to provide logistics such as medicines, including injections, PPE kits and other machinery required. We had spent Rs 4 crore earlier in Covid-related expenses but did not get any support from the state government,” Prakash said.
Hospital authorities said preparations are still on to convert the hospital into a Covid facility. A senior functionary at Hindu Rao Hospital said, requesting anonymity, work related to the creation of more isolation wards, procurement of PPEs and medicines and preparation of a duty roster of doctors and nursing staff were being done.
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The 200-bed north corporation-run Balakram Hospital in Timarpur will also be converted into a Covid Care Centre for mild cases.
The 70-bed Tilak Nagar Super Speciality Hospital, which is run by the south civic body, is likely to be converted into a care centre for mild cases.
