CM requests for ITBP, Army doctors to man South Delhi Covid facility
New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah asking him to deploy doctors and nurses from the Indo-Tibetan Border Patrol (ITBP) and the Indian Army to man the 10,000-bedded COVID-19 facility being built at the South Delhi campus of the Radha Soami Sat Sang Beas here amid a serious shortage of healthcare workers that the Capital is facing in light of the rising number of cases here.
Millennium Post had on June 19 reported that according to Delhi government's own estimates, the city would need at least 5,000 healthcare workers, including 2,000 doctors and 3,000 nurses to man the additional beds being created here. While the Delhi government has already called all postgraduate medical students and undergraduate as well as postgraduate nursing students to man ICU beds here for the next six months, the Capital still might face an acute shortage of healthcare workers.
CM Kejriwal, in his letter, had also invited Shah to visit the facility in South Delhi which is being built under a sprawling tent near the Delhi-Haryana border. However, soon after news of the letter became public, Shah informed the CM on Twitter that the decision to deploy ITBP doctors for the centre had been made and that they would start manning the beds there by June 26.
"Dear Kejriwal ji, It has already been decided in our meeting 3 days back and MHA has assigned the work of operating the 10,000 bed COVID Care Centre at Radha Swami Beas in Delhi to ITBP. The work is in full swing and a large part of the facility will be operational by 26th Jun," he said.
"I would also like to inform the people of Delhi that a 1,000 bed full-fledged hospital with 250 ICU beds is being developed for Covid patients. DRDO and Tata Trust are building the facility. Armed forces personnel will man it. This Covid Care centre will be ready in next 10 days," Shah said. He also said the armed forces personnel have been detailed for providing medical care and attention to COVID-19 patients housed in railway coaches in Delhi.
The Delhi CM responded through a tweet, "The country's military, doctors, social institutions, central government and Delhi government - all are working unitedly for Delhi. I am sure we will all together beat Corona. Thank you for helping the Delhi government and the people of Delhi in these difficult circumstances."
