'Delhi health infra should be used for its residents only'

New Delhi: A five-member panel constituted by the Delhi government has suggested that the health infrastructure of city should be used only for treating residents of the national Capital. In its report, which was submitted on Saturday, the panel has said that if people from outside the Capital were allowed to use the health services then the hospitals will reach 100 per cent of its capacity within three days.

The five-member committee was formed to evaluate Delhi's preparedness to handle an increase in Covid-19 cases and suggest measures to equip the health infrastructure in the city. The committee is headed by Dr Mahesh Verma who is the vice-chancellor of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and former director of Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences.

President of Delhi Medical Council and one of the members of the committee, Dr Arun Gupta said, "Seeing the current status of the Capital and the rate at which number of cases are increasing we are estimating that Delhi would require 15,000 beds in the coming two weeks. This suggestion has been made keeping Delhi's population in mind but if you extend the services to people from other states then we are not prepared for it."

The panel also includes Dr Sunil Kumar, medical director of Guru Teg Bahadur hospital, Dr RK Gupta, former president of the Delhi Medical Association, and Dr Sandeep Budhiraja, group medical director of Max hospital.

A government official in the Health department said that the first committee, which was formed on March 27 and is headed by Dr SK Sarin, director of the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, continues to function.