500 ICU beds near GTB delayed; Dwarka hosp ready but no admissions

New Delhi: While the Delhi government's bed augmentation programme for Covid patients seems to be roaring with thousands of additional critical care beds set to come up in the next few days, many of these facilities have not yet started admissions due to technical glitches.

For instance, the 500-bedded ICU facility on the Ramlila Ground opposite the GTB Hospital was supposed to start admissions from Tuesday but this was delayed with Health Minister Satyendar Jain citing "technical glitches". In addition, another 250 beds, which were supposed to have started admissions two days ago are yet to see any patients with the government saying critical equipment and staff for these beds are awaited.

In the Delhi High Court, it was revealed on Tuesday that the 250 beds at Indira Gandhi Hospital in Dwarka were yet to see patients despite the Delhi government submitting on May 10 that the site was operational.

The court expressed its displeasure over the incorrect submissions.

"It was not fair on the part of the Delhi government to give incorrect facts," a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said and added that "the newspapers of Saturday said 250 beds in the hospital were operationalised, but not a single bed has been occupied till date".

The remarks were made after the Delhi government apologised for making an incorrect statement on May 10 about the COVID facility in the hospital.

The Delhi government informed the bench that these beds were yet to start as they were still waiting for oxygen cylinders and concentrators.

As for the delay in operationalising the beds opposite the GTB Hospital, Health Minister Satyendar Jain tweeted, "Due to some unavoidable technical glitches, extended facility of GTB hospital will be operational from tomorrow. Team GTB is working day and night to ensure health care services are available to Delhiites."

Moreover, the Hansraj College here under the Delhi University has offered its hostel for setting up a 100-bed health facility for COVID-19 patients. An RT-PCR testing centre has also been set up at the college and will start functioning from Wednesday, its principal Rama Sharma said.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government on Tuesday ordered all COVID-19 facilities to provide food to all staff, including contractual ones, and give them an additional "transportation charge" of Rs 200 per day.