NEW DELHI: The Delhi government increased the ICU bed capacity in three of its dedicated COVID-19 hospitals under its administration – Lok Nayak Hospital, GTB Hospital and Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital. The number of ICU beds at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital has been increased from 60 to 180, in Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital from 45 to 120, and GTB Hospital from 31 to 66.
Delhi has reported nearly 1 lakh cases so far. However, 71,339 patients have recovered. The recovery rate in Delhi crossed 70 per cent on July 4, and the number of hospitalised patients has gone down from 6,200 to 5,300. The Delhi government claimed that the number of vacant COVID beds is around 9,900, which is nearly 65 per cent of total bed capacity.
A few days back, CM Arvind Kejriwal had announced that major efforts were under way to increase the numb of ICU beds.
“With an increase in the ICU beds, the fatality rate in Delhi is expected to further reduce due to enhanced capacity to take care of critical patients. Over the last few weeks, the daily number of fatalities due to COVID-19 has gone down substantially from over 120 a day to 55 on July 4,” the Delhi government said in a statement on Sunday.
RAT compulsory at facilities for high risk individuals The Delhi government on Sunday issued an order making it compulsory to carry out Rapid Antigen Detection Testing of high risk individuals in all hospitals.
“All individuals with ILI symptoms, patients admitted with SARI, all asymptomatic patients admitted or seeking admission of following high risk groups — patients undergoing chemotherapy, immunosuppressed patient including HIV positive, patients with malignant disease, transplant patients, elderly patients (more than 65 years of age) with co-morbidities and all asymptomatic patients undergoing aerosol generating interventions,” said the order.