COVID-19 in Delhi: Less than 100 ICU beds vacant, situation worsening with every moment, says Arvind Kejriwal

File image of Arvind Kejriwal. ANI

New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said around 25,500 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in Delhi and the positivity rate has increased to nearly 30 percent in the last 24 hours.

He also said that the Delhi government has sought the Centre’s help in ensuring adequate beds and supply of oxygen for COVID-19 patients.

“Less than 100 ICU beds are vacant in Delhi hospitals, and the situation is worsening every moment,” Kejriwal said, adding that he spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah this morning and stressed on the need for making more beds available.

“We are constantly in touch with the Centre and getting help from it,” he said.

The chief minister said due to the fast pace of increasing COVID-19 infections, hospital beds and oxygen for patients are depleting fast in the city.

Kejriwal added that 6,000 more beds will be added in the next three to four days, and warned hospitals of strict action if they are found giving wrong information or turning away coronavirus patients despite availability of beds.

“In the next 3-4 days, the Delhi government will be adding 6,000 oxygen beds including 1,300 beds atthe Yamuna Sports Complex and Commonwealth Games Complex, and 2,500 at Radha Soami Satsang, Beas premises,” he said.

He also asked the Centre to reserve 50 percent beds in central government hospitals in Delhi for COVID-19 patients.

“The health infrastructure has its limits; due to rapidly increasing cases in Delhi, we are facing shortage of oxygen, Remdesivir, and Tocilizumab,” he said during an online media briefing.

He said his government has received complaints that some hospitals were denying beds to COVID-19 patients.

The Delhi government has an app that shows the number of occupied or vacant beds available at hospitals in realtime. The hospitals update it showing if there was availability of beds there, he said.

“If any hospital, showing availability of beds on the app, is found to be denying patients or providing false information, strict action will be taken against them,” he said.

The Delhi government is constantly working to augment the number of oxygen beds and ICU facilities amid the crisis, he said.

The assurance of Delhi chief minister comes at a time when people are finding it difficult to admit patients in hospitals, and taking to social media with cries of help.

Kejriwal said the COVID-19 situation in Delhi has become “very serious and worrisome” with positivity rate escalating to 24 per cent.

The Delhi government has come up with 2,100 oxygen beds by attaching banquet halls and hotels to the hospitals. The beds will be show in Delhi government app in a day or two, he said.

The Centre should reserve at least 7,000 of 10,000 beds in hospitals run by it in Delhi as COVID beds and ensure immediate supply of oxygen, Kejriwal added.