Coronavirus : Govt orders private hospitals to reserve beds for COVID-19 patients

Coronavirus : Govt orders private hospitals to reserve beds for COVID-19 patients

The Delhi government had ordered 117 hospitals across the city with more than 50 beds to reserve 20% of their bed-strength for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.

The 22 hospitals include three branches of Fortis hospitals and four of Max hospitals.

As per the government order, Fortis Vasant Kunj will become a completely Covid-19 hospital and will be adding beds. Around 80% beds in Batra hospital in Tughlakabad Institutional area have to be reserved, around 60% beds in Holy Family hospital, and between 25 to 50% beds in the other hospitals will have to be reserved.

The 200 beds in Max Smart Superspeciality hospital was already dedicated for the treatment of Covid-19.

So far, of the 117 hospitals that had been asked to reserve Covid-19 beds in Delhi government’s initial May 24 order, 91 have so far agreed to do so as on Tuesday, according to data on Delhi Corona App.

The Delhi government on Tuesday ordered all Delhi government-run and private hospitals with 50 beds or more to put up a 12×10-feet flexboard at the entry gate. The board has to say, “Important Notice. 1) For latest information on vacant beds in this hospital: Download Delhi Corona mobile app. Go to www.delhifightscorona.in/beds. Call 1031. If a hospital refuses a bed even though the app shows there are vacant beds in the hospital, you can call 1031 to file a complaint.”

The government had earlier ordered private hospitals to prominently display the charges for various treatments and procedures for Covid-19.

The message further reads, “2) If you have tested positive for corona and your symptoms are mild, then you can recover at home though home isolation. If you do not have sufficient facilities at home to undergo home isolation, you can be admitted to our Covid Care Centre. Only Patients with severe symptoms need to be admitted to the hospital.”

The government had asked all hospitals in the city to discharge any mild and asymptomatic cases admitted to make space in the hospitals last week.

The message to be displayed on the flex also says, “3) If you have severe symptoms of corona but have not been tested yet, or if the results are pending, do not panic. Hospitals cannot refuse to admit a patient with severe symptoms of corona. If a hospital refuses to admit you, call 1031 and file a complaint.”