New Delhi, Jan 5 (PTI) Amid a surge in cases of coronavirus and its Omicron variant, the Delhi government has asked its nine hospitals to increase their cumulative Covid bed capacity to 4,350 from the existing 3,316, an official order said on Wednesday.
The Health and Family Welfare Department of the Delhi government issued the order. The hospitals it addressed to are India Gandhi Hospital, Lok Nayak Hospital, Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Burari Hospital, Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital, Ambedkar Nagar Hospital, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital, and Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital.
According to the order, the Indira Gandhi Hospital has been directed to increase its Covid bed capacity to 1,500 from 1,181.
The order directed the authorities at the Lok Nayak and the Guru Teg Bahadur hospitals to enhance their Covid bed capacity to 750 from the existing 650 and 600 respectively.
Similarly, the administration at the Deep Chand Bandhu, Deen Dayal Upadhyay and Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar hospitals were directed to enhance their respective Covid bed capacity to 150 each.
The Burari Hospital has been asked to hike its Covid bed capacity to 400 from 300.
The Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital will now have an increased Covid bed capacity of 300 beds, up from 150.
The Covid bed capacity at the Ambedkar Nagar Hospital will be increased to 200, the order said.
The order further directed all medical superintendents and directors of these hospitals to ensure that all preparations are made for engaging necessary manpower and equipments to meet bed escalation operationalisation.
Delhi on Wednesday reported 10,665 new coronavirus cases, almost double the number of infections logged the day before, with the positivity rate shooting up to 11.88 per cent, health department data showed.
The number of new cases is the highest since May 12 last year, when 13,287 people were diagnosed with the disease.
To curb the spread of the virus, the Delhi government on Tuesday announced a weekend curfew and work from home for its offices.
During the weekend curfew, which will come into force at 10 pm on Friday and will be in place till 5 am on Monday, all essential services will be allowed in the national capital. Along with the weekend curfew, night curfew will also continue.
