Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said there was no community transmission of the novel coronavirus in Delhi, and said the Centre was coordinating with the state on managing the outbreak.
In an interview to ANI, Shah also said remarks made by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in early June about the national capital reaching 5.5 lakh Covid-19 cases by the end of July had created “fear” among people and he expressed confidence that the stage will not be reached. He said the Government had already planned in providing 30,000 Covid-19 beds by end of June in Delhi.
Shah said the Centre has taken several steps to ramp up infrastructure and health facilities in Delhi in order to contain the spread of novel coronavirus in the national Capital. In that process, the Government had already planned in providing 30,000 Covid-19 beds by end of June, Shah said.
He said the rates of isolation beds and ICU treatment has also been reduced significantly in Delhi and a committee was set up for the purpose.
“By June 30, 30,000 beds will be available. Eight thousand beds have been made in railway coaches and 8,000 beds are being prepared. DRDO is making an exclusive Covid-hospital in which there will be 250 ICU beds and with ventilators. A 10,000-bed facility has also been set up at the Radha Soami Beas, (Chhattarpur) keeping the rainy season in mind. The 9,937 beds arranged by Delhi Government earlier have not been occupied completely. It is not that they have not made arrangements but if the situation worsens, we have planned in advance,” Shah said, as reported by ANI.
He said it was the concern of people of Delhi that private hospitals are charging arbitrary rates. “In my meeting, a decision was taken that a committee of doctors would be set up that would listen to private hospitals, consider best practices and extra cost in treating Covid-19 patients,” he said.
“The rates for ICU without ventilators were between Rs 34,000 to Rs 43,000. Now it is Rs 13,000 to Rs 15,000. ICUs with ventilators previously use to cost Rs 44,000 to Rs 54,000. It has now been brought down to Rs 15,000 to Rs 18,000. It includes tests for Covid-19, medicines. And in case of a diabetic patient, the next treatment is also included. It is a sealed package,” he added.
He said teams were constituted comprising doctors from the Delhi Government, AIIMS and ICMR to help reduce shortcomings.
Speaking about his visit to the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital (LNJP), Shah said not only did it bring issues being faced on the ground to the front, but also boosted the morale of the health workers. He said the Delhi Government conveyed that the number of ambulances, oxygen cylinders and ventilators needed to increase.
“We immediately provided 500 oxygen cylinders, around 10,000 oximeters and 440 ventilators and will provide more as and when needed.
