Oppn targets govt over Covid app, govt calls it important tool

A day after the Delhi government launched a mobile application to provide information about the number of vacant hospital beds in the city, several users complained

A day after the Delhi government launched a mobile application to provide information about the number of vacant hospital beds in the city, several users complained that hospitals denied them admission despite the application showing vacant beds.

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While the Congress and the BJP alleged that the government was misleading the people, a Delhi government spokesperson said that the hospitals were supposed to provide status of vacant beds. “If the hospitals do not admit patients despite beds being available, the government will take immediate action,” the spokesperson added.

The spokesperson conceded “teething problems” in the application but termed it an “extremely useful tool for the citizens”. “Over the next few days, we aim to provide real-time information to everyone,” the spokesperson said.

Delhi Congress president Anil Chaudhary released a video, showing a retired municipal worker being denied admission to Max Hospital, Patparganj, despite the mobile app showing available beds. “Angoori Devi is a retired municipal worker, who lives in Patparganj Village. The family took her to the hospital after checking bed availability on the app. When they reached there, they were told that no beds were available,” Chaudhary said.

Shankar Mehrauliya, Devi’s nephew, said the hospital staff showed him a screen at the reception which showed that there were no beds for Covid-19 or even non-Covid patients. “We kept requesting for admission, but nothing happened,” Mehrauliya said.

In an email response to HT regarding the allegation, Max Healthcare Institute said its Patparganj wing had commissioned 80 beds (29 in ICU and 51 ward beds) dedicated to treat Covid-19 patients on May 29.

“... These beds were fully occupied within three days. Yesterday (Tuesday) night, all beds in the hospital were occupied. For the convenience of patients, we have installed screens at the hospital, reflecting the occupancy of Covid beds. We are trying our best to accommodate as many patients as possible in the hospital and are also appealing to patients with minor symptoms to self-quarantine at home,” the Institute said in the statement.

In another instance, a Delhi-based journalist tweeted that his brother, who showed severe Covid symptoms, had to be shuttled between hospitals because the government portal showed bed availability but the hospitals said there were none. “My brother has severe Covid symptoms. We contacted Max, Apollo and Gangaram—all three said no beds. But your website shows they have beds. Please look into this,” tweeted the journalist, Vikas Pandey.

A senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader responded to Pandey’s tweet, offering assistance, while another replied to the SOS and asked the journalist to report the hospital, denying admission to the government helpline 1031.

Another Twitter user, Naman S Kedia, claimed in a tweet that while the government app showed 56 beds vacant on Tuesday afternoon, the hospital denied availability.

“We have a Covid positive patient and we contacted Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, which, as per Delhi coronavirus app, had 56 beds vacant. But on calling them (the hospital) they said there were no beds vacant. What do we do?” Kedia tweeted.

Max Healthcare Institute maintained that all the information on bed availability was being displayed in their hospitals.

Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta on Wednesday said that the party conducted a “reality check”, wherein four of the seven hospitals on the app were not admitting Covid-19 patients. The remaining three hospitals reported they were full.