Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said that Delhi government hospitals will only be available to Delhi residents amid the coronavirus pandemic while centre hospitals will remain open to everyone. Select private hospitals are also reserved for Delhi residents except those where special surgeries like neurosurgery are performed, the chief minister said. Kejriwal said people would be treated at private hospitals when they come to the national capital for unique surgeries.
Delhi is expected to see a triple rise in the number of positive coronavirus cases by the end of June, a Delhi govt-constituted five-member commission said. The panel further asked the govt to procure almost 15,000 beds in the national capital to accommodate the COVID-19 patients.
The chief minister called for public suggestions earlier this week as to whether hospitals in Delhi should be reserved for residents during the coronavirus pandemic exclusively. The office of the chief minister (CMO), in a tweet, said the suggestions could be sent by 5 pm June.
Kejriwal announced on Sunday the opening of Delhi borders from Monday in an address about the prevailing coronavirus situation in the national capital. From tomorrow all restaurants, malls and venerable places will also be open in the national capital. Hotels and banquet halls will, however, remain closed.
Kejriwal said Delhi may require 15,000 beds for treating Covid-19 patients by the end of June. The chief minister also warned the elderly against infection with Covid-19 and urged them to remain protected.
According to the most recent statistics released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, as many as 26,334 confirmed coronavirus cases have been registered in Delhi so far. Of the total cases, about 10,315 have been treated successfully while 708 have succumbed to the deadly disease. According to official records, there are currently some 15,311 COVID-19 cases active in Delhi.
Meanwhile, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in India has breached past 2.3 lakh-mark while the death toll is 6,642.
