NEW DELHI: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday cautioned private hospitals to make arrangements for reserving 20 per cent beds for patients suffering from coronavirus infection or face consequences. Sisodia said that if the hospital administration doesn’t follow the directions, the government will designate the entire institution as a dedicated Covid facility.
“The objective behind this order was to make sure that no hospital refuses treatment to a corona infected person. There are a few private hospitals, which are facing difficulties in reserving 20 per cent of their beds for Covid patients. If they do not agree to the directions, we will have to convert them into fully dedicated Covid 19 hospitals,” he said while during a press briefing, which was also attended by Health Minister Satyendar Jain. Sisodia gave a 24-hour ultimatum to 61 private hospital administrations.
“They have time till tomorrow (Friday). Moolchand, Ganga Ram and Saroj hospitals have already been converted into fully Covid 19 health facilities,” the Deputy CM said. Explaining the reason for issuing directions to private for reserving beds, Sisodia said that the government wants no one to suffer owing to lack of beds. “We are reminding private hospitals to reserve 20 per cent beds. However, asymptomatic patients don’t need to rush to the hospital.
Home isolation is a good option for patients with no or mild symptoms,” he added. The ministers said the entire focus is on saving the lives of the people in the national capital. “The cases are on the rise; that is why we are increasing the number of Covid dedicated hospitals. At present, five government and three private hospitals are dedicated Covid hospitals.
The government has also directed 61 private hospitals to reserve 20 per cent of their bed capacity for patients coming for Covid treatment,” said Sisodia Jain at the briefing reiterated that only patients in serious condition need to be hospitalised. “Only atients with moderate (respiratory rate of more than 15 per minute and oxygen level below 94 per cent) and severe symptoms (respiratory rate of more than 30 per minute and oxygen level below 90 per cent) require hospitalisation, he added,” Jain said.