New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced that beds in hospitals run by the state government shall be reserved for residents of the national capital till the coronavirus pandemic subsides.
However, hospitals like AIIMS and Safdarjung that come under the Union government, including a few private hospitals which perform special surgeries and attract patients from all over, will run, as usual, he added.
Special treatments provided by the private ones include neurosurgery, oncology and other complex treatments that are not easily available in hospitals across the nation.
The chief minister, while addressing the citizens via video conferencing, said, “A five-member committee assessed the situation and found that by the end of June, we will be needing around 15,000 beds to treat infected patients. There are around 10,000 beds each in Delhi government and Centre-run hospitals. The Cabinet has decided that beds in Delhi government hospitals should be reserved only for people of Delhi.”
The decision was taken following suggestions from the citizens as well an expert committee headed by the vice-chancellor of IP University Dr Mahesh Verma.
Delhi CM has also suggested that as a precautionary measure, elders must be in minimum touch with other family members, as senior citizens and children are more prone to falling prey to the pathogen.
Besides this, Delhi borders, which were sealed last week, will be open for inter-state movement from Monday. “We are opening Delhi borders from tomorrow,” he said in his address to the citizens, adding that while malls and restaurants will resume activity from Monday as per the Centre's guidelines, hotels and banquet halls will remain shut. (UNI)