3-fold increase in Covid beds since Apr 3: Sisodia

New Delhi: Even as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday made desperate appeals to the Centre to supply oxygen for Delhi hospitals, he insisted that his government was already doing whatever it could on a war footing to try and meet the demand for medical oxygen.

In a tweet before pleading the Centre to help Delhi's hospitals, the CM had said, "Have a review meeting with officials on the current conditions of Corona, working at the war level to ensure oxygen supply in Delhi, and are also talking to the central government. The work of increasing oxygen beds on a large scale is also going on.

And as the oxygen shortage was addressed before the Delhi High Court, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia continued his 5th straight day of hospital visits to ensure more beds are available.

He said around 2,700 beds will be added at different hospitals and facilities in the national Capital in the next few days for COVID-19 patients and assured people that there is no need to panic. "In the next few days, 2,700 more beds will be arranged. Most of the COVID-19 patients are recovering in home isolation," he said.

At a press conference, Sisodia said, "There are 320 beds in Burari Hospital, which will be increased to 800. The capacity of beds at Ambedkar Nagar Hospital will be increased from 200 to 600. The beds at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital will be increased from 250 to 750." Around 250 beds will be added at Acharya Shree Bhikshu and DRDO's COVID-19 Centre. The number of beds in the Satyawadi Raja Harishchandra Hospital of Narela will be increased from 200 to 400, the minister said.

Sisodia, who is also the Nodal Health Minister of COVID-19, said a Delhi government school will be connected to the LNJP hospital which will include 125 beds and a centre of 500 beds will be set up in the Commonwealth Games Village.

"All these beds will be ready in the next four to five days. There are about 2,500 beds that are still vacant in Delhi.

"I urge those who need hospitals to check the mobile app beforehand for bed availability and then proceed further. The number of COVID-19 beds in Delhi on April 3 was 6,071 which has gone up to 19,101 on April 20," Sisodia said, adding no one should rush to hospitals and that home isolation is the most effective way to fight the disease. In addition to this, the large Covid centre et up by the ITBP is yet to restart amid this surge in cases, with officials saying they were awaiting an order from the MHA.

Health Minister Jain added that the Centre was yet to allow the Delhi government to set up augmented vaccination centres on unused govt property. "If this permission is granted, then we will be able to do vaccination very fast," Jain said. Vaccinations have consistently declined in the city, corresponding with the sharp spike in cases.

As for the delayed test results and the shortage of Remdesivir, being prescribed to treat symptoms of Covid-19, Jain said, much of the backlog at labs had been cleared and that the reports should now start arriving in 24 hours. He added that Remdesivir was running out everywhere and if the Centre allowed it, 12 to 14 firms can start manufacturing to address the stocks.