Covid beds reduced across hosps to make room for dengue patients

New Delhi: As dengue cases in the Capital continue rising, with some weeks more dengue cases detected than Covid cases, the Delhi government on Thursday announced that it is cutting down the reservation for Covid patients in Delhi hospitals to 10 per cent from the earlier 30 per cent.

Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday added that there were enough hospital beds in the city available for dengue patients and that there is no need to panic.

The Covid infection rate in Delhi was 0.2 per cent till June 17, which has come down to 0.06 per cent by October 17. On Thursday, the city reported 22 new cases and zero new deaths from the virus with a daily positivity rate of 0.05 per cent. The death toll is currently at 25,090 with active cases at 311.

"In such a situation, the government has reduced the number of beds reserved for Covid patients in Delhi's hospitals due to the increase in the number of the vector-borne disease and the decrease in Covid infection," a senior official said.

The number of Covid beds in LNJP Hospital has been reduced from 700 to 400 in this direction and the number of Covid beds in AGSS Hospital has been decreased from 600 to 350. Now, these additional beds will be used for treating dengue patients.

The official also asserted that the number of dengue patients in Delhi is as low as it was in 2019.

"There are only 221 patients admitted in Delhi's hospitals. Out of which, only 179 patients are from Delhi. Apart from this, 42 patients have come from other states," he said, with sources adding that of the 21 Delhi government hospitals, three do not have a single patient admitted there and 10 have patients in the single-digits.

Stressing that there is no need to panic about dengue in Delhi, the senior official said out of all the fever

patients coming to the hospitals in Delhi, only 25 per cent are being found dengue positive.

"The dengue situation in Delhi is completely under control. Adequate number of beds are present in the hospitals of Delhi. Not only this, patients from outside Delhi are also being treated in Delhi hospitals. At present, 25 per cent of the total dengue patients present in Delhi hospitals are from outside the national capital. Delhi hospitals are treating everyone," the health minister said.