Turning Delhi stadiums into makeshift Covid hospitals discussed in LG’s meet

The LG’s statement said the need to expand Delhi’s infrastructure to meet with the rapid rise in the cases was discussed at length in the meeting of the state disaster management authority on Tuesday.

Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal’s office on Tuesday said it had asked officials to prepare a plan to augment Delhi’s health infrastructure including the possibility of turning public places like the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium and Indira Gandhi Indoor stadium into temporary health facilities to meet with the challenges of rising cases of coronavirus in the capital.

New Delhi: Lt Governor Anil Baijal felicitates Major Akshay Chaubey with ‘Gallantry Award’, as Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal looks on, at Raj Niwas in New Delhi, Friday, Dec. 6, 2019. (PTI Photo/Manvender Vashist) (PTI12_6_2019_000250B) (PTI)

The statement came on a day when Delhi’s tally of coronavirus positive cases was all set to cross the 30,000-mark after reaching 29,943 on Monday. Delhi is the third-worst affected after Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu and according to Kejriwal’s deputy Manish Sisodia, the Covid-19 positive cases in the capital were projected to cross 5.5 lakh mark by the end of July which will generate a need for 80,000 hospital beds.

The LG’s statement said the need to expand Delhi’s infrastructure to meet with the rapid rise in the cases was discussed at length in the meeting of the state disaster management authority on Tuesday.

“In today’s SDMA meeting also, ideas e.g. use of spaces like Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, Tyagraj Stadium, JLN Stadium, Pragati Maidan to make large makeshift medical facilities were discussed. It was also decided to utilize banquet halls, marriage places, etc. to ramp up the facilities,” the statement said.

The statement further added that all officers concerned were directed by Baijal, who heads the SDMA as Delhi’s LG, to put in all efforts to make sure that the available health infrastructure is ramped up as early as possible.

“Hon’ble Lt. Governor also advised the officers concerned to invoke Section 50 of Disaster Management Act, 2005 for expeditious procurement and timely setting up of required infrastructure,” the statement said.

The statement suggested that the experts from the government of India are also aware of the contingency plans.

The possibility of converting stadiums or large spaces into makeshift medical facilities like it was done in China has been discussed before but the need has not arisen in India so far. India currently India has a total of 266,598 coronavirus cases as of Tuesday morning as per the data released by the health ministry.