In the next 3-4 days, the Delhi government will be adding 6000 oxygen beds to its health infrastructure : CM Arvind Kejriwal

Beds are being arranged across various facilities in Delhi

The Delhi government is taking every effort, is working relentlessly to save the life of the citizens, is ensuring safety and health, and to protect each person from Corona: CM

India

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New Delhi, April 17, 2021 :

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal addressed a press conference on Saturday and said that in the next 3-4 days, the Delhi government will be adding 6000 oxygen beds to its health infrastructure as the beds are being arranged across various facilities in the capital. He said that due to rapidly increasing cases in Delhi, Delhi is facing a shortage of oxygen, Remdesivir, and Tocilizumab.

He also said that some labs have started taking up more samples than their actual capacity, and strict action would be taken against such labs that collect more samples than their actual capacity and do not provide the report within 24 hours. He said that the Delhi government has been receiving multiple complaints of hospitals denying beds to patients. Those hospitals that are providing wrong information on the app or phone calls would have to face strict action. He also said that strict instructions to the officials have been given to carry out raids and undertake strict action on those who are found hoarding these medicines or involved in black marketing.

Addressing a digital press conference, CM Arvind Kejriwal said, “Corona is spreading rapidly in Delhi. In the last 24 hours, 24,000 new cases have been reported. Before that, there were 19,500 new cases. So, you can see that within one day, the cases increased from 19,500 to 24,000. The positivity rate is more than 24%. The situation is quite grave. Now, there is a shortage of oxygen and Remdesivir in Delhi.”

CM Arvind Kejriwal said, “Today I held a meeting with all the officers. Since the cases are increasing so rapidly, the facilities that we thought would be sufficient, based on our assessment 3-4 days ago, are now falling short. Today, there is a shortage of Oxygen, Remdesivir, and Tocilizumab.

Any health infrastructure has its own boundaries. In Delhi too, there are limited ICU beds. The speed with which Corona is spreading, it is given that beyond a certain limit, one must note that health infrastructure has its limits. The number of oxygen beds and ICU beds are declining at a sharp rate. However, your government is trying that more numbers of beds should be made available.”

He said that in the past few days, the Delhi government took several steps via which the number of beds was increased; and till now, in Delhi, there was no shortage of beds. “Even now we’re taking several steps to increase the number of beds and in the next 2-3 days to come, I hope that we’ll be able to provide for beds on a large scale. We will try that any serious patient who needs a bed or oxygen, gets access to it,” said the CM.

He said, “The main target as of now is that since the prime importance is that of oxygen, we’re trying that the number of beds we’re creating, are made oxygen beds so that serious patients could be treated. In the Yamuna Sports Complex and Commonwealth Games Complex, approximately 1300 beds are being arranged. In Radha Soami Satsang, Beas, we had arranged for 2,500 beds initially and are arranging for another 2,500 beds.

When I addressed you all a few days ago I told you how hotels and banquet halls are being attached to hospitals. We have been successful in coming up with 2,100 oxygen beds by attaching banquet halls and hotels to the hospitals. This would be highlighted in the app by tomorrow or day after. These would be within the overall purview of the hospital and hence would be a part of it. I hope that in this manner we will be able to add 6,000 more beds in the next 2-4 days.”

CM Kejriwal added that it has also come to light that black marketing and hoarding of these medicines that we are falling short of, is possible. In the meeting with officers today, CM Kejriwal gave strict instructions to the officials to carry out raids and undertake strict action on those who are found hoarding these medicines or involved in their black marketing.

CM Arvind Kejriwal said, “We have been receiving another complaint. Delhi was the only city in the entire country where the test results came out withun 24 hours. From the past few days, it has been noticed that results are taking 3-4 days. The reason behind this is that some labs have started taking up more samples than their actual capacity. For instance, if their capacity is 5,000 tests per day, they are collecting approximately 10,000-15,000 samples, and then take 3-4 days to provide the result.

Understand the loss behind this. A serious patient who gave his sample today, if his result comes out 3 days later, he could also lose his life within this span of 3 days. You are playing with their life. Strict action would be taken against such labs that collect more samples than their actual capacity and do not provide the report within 24 hours.”

All DMs have also been instructed that before giving samples to any lab, they must check whether these labs have any pending samples or not. Such labs that do not provide reports within 24 hours must not be given the samples.

CM Arvind Kejriwal said, “Delhi government has an app that shows the number of occupied or vacant beds, in a particular hospital, on a real-time basis. We do not directly operate this app. Each hospital has been given a password. Each of these hospitals inserts data in the app, on their own.

So, if a particular hospital has stated that they have 40 beds available, in the Delhi government app; and if someone goes to that hospital looking for a bed and if they refuse to provide it, strict action would be taken against such hospitals. We have been receiving multiple complaints like this. Those hospitals that are providing wrong information on the app or on phone calls would have to face strict action.”

“To fight Corona, we had to impose a weekend curfew due to compulsion. It has been noted that people are following it. We will be keeping an eye on the situation for the next few days. If the gravity of the situation increases, we would take any measure to save your life, for your safety and health. I hope that you would continue to cooperate with us, the way you always have, in each step,” added the CM.

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