New Delhi: As Delhi's Covid surge continues to set new records every day amid a serious shortage of hospital beds, medical oxygen and medicines, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday declared that Delhi is facing an "acute" shortage of oxygen and that "oxygen has become an emergency in Delhi".
Earlier in the day, the CM said that ICU beds in the city were running out fast and less than 100 of them were currently vacant here. According to the Delhi Corona app as of 8 pm, only 55 ICU beds were available. Kejriwal said that the positivity rate of infections in the city had reached almost 30 per cent on Sunday, with over 25,000 new cases and that the situation was worsening in the Capital every moment.
The CM, during a press conference in the day, said that he had flagged this problem to the Centre, in a call with Home Minister Amit Shah and in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well. "We are in constant touch with the Centre and are getting help from it," he added.
However, in the tweet, which appeared as an SOS message for oxygen supply to Delhi, the CM said, "Del facing acute shortage of oxygen. In view of sharply increasing cases, Del needs much more than normal supply. Rather than increasing supply, our normal supply has been sharply reduced and Delhi's quota has been diverted to other states. OXYGEN HAS BECOME AN EMERGENCY IN DEL."
In his letter to the PM, CM Kejriwal had said, "Oxygen and Covid beds required urgently. Almost all ICU beds in the city are full. We are doing everything we can. Need your help." In the letter, the CM added that while the Centre had currently reserved just 1,800 beds in its facilities for Covid patients and was providing 500 ICU beds at the South Delhi Covid Centre, the actual requirement is much more.
He said, "In light of the seriousness of the situation, it is requested that the reservation for Covid patients in these facilities be increased to at least 7,000." The letter said that the Centre had 10,000 beds at its disposal. Moreover, the CM requested that the DRDO facility which is adding 500 ICU beds, add 1,000 ICU beds instead, as per the requirement.
In addition, the CM told the PM that he had spoke about this need to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and Home Minister Amit Shah as well, before adding that the Centre had been very helpful when needed last year to help with the pandemic.
Meanwhile, CM Kejriwal, Dy CM Manish Sisodia, who is also the nodal Minister for Covid management, and Health Minister Satyendar Jain went about visiting preparations at various Covid centres, where Sisodia also highlighted the city's urgent need for medical oxygen. Moreover, CM Kejriwal said that the city will get 1,500 more Covid beds at care centres such as the Sardar Patel Centre, CWG village in East Delhi and a Delhi government school at Rouse Avenue, which is being converted into a care facility, in the next few days. The CM also said at his press conference that the city will have 6,000 more COVID-19 beds in large care facilities in the next few days, starting with the Sardar Patel Centre (500), Yamuna Sports Complex (500), DRDO facility (250) and beds in several government schools across the city.
Sisodia, along with Jain, paid surprise visits to Satyawadi Raja Harish Chandra Hospital, Burari Hospital, Radha Soami Satsang Beas and DRDO to take cognisance of the medical infrastructure. During his visit to Radha Soami Satsang Beas he said that 5,000 oxygen beds will be ready in the next few days out of which 500 oxygen beds will start functioning from Tuesday.
Sisodia along with Jain also visited the SRHC hospital at Narela and said that the bed capacity will be enhanced to 400 within two days from the present 130 beds. The duo also visited the makeshift Covid Care Center prepared by DRDO where critical covid patients will be admitted and took stock of the preparations there and praised DRDO for starting this center in just a matter of 5 days. The center has a total capacity of 500 ventilator-equipped ICU beds. Out of which 250 beds will begin admission from Monday itself while in the next 4-5 days, 250 beds will become operational. At the Satyawadi Raja Harishchandra Hospital of Narela Sisodia directed the management to increase the number of beds and make arrangements for the same. He said that the number of beds will increase to 400 in the next two days, from the current bed count of 130 beds. Deputy CM said that the oxygen plant will start functioning in Delhi in the next two days, but due to higher consumption than usual, the supply of oxygen allocated is falling significantly. "Information is being received from some hospitals that they have a stock of oxygen left for a very limited time. The Delhi government has requested the central government to immediately increase the quota of oxygen for Delhi," he added.