New Delhi: With COVID-19 cases rising alarmingly in Delhi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday announced a slew of measures like doubling of testing in the national capital in the next two days and working out a mechanism to make available 60 per cent of beds in private hospitals at lower rates and fixing the price for coronavirus treatment.
The decisions were taken as Shah held meetings, first with Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and others, and later with the mayors and top officials of municipal bodies, on the coronavirus situation.
The COVID-19 tests will be started at every polling station in containment zones and a comprehensive house-to-house health survey will be conducted in the hotspots for contact tracing, the Home Minister said.
He said a committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of VK Paul, Member NITI Aayog, to ensure the availability of 60 per cent beds by private hospitals at lower rates and fix the rate of coronavirus testing and treatment, according to a home ministry statement. The committee will submit its report by Monday.
In view of shortage of beds for coronavirus infected patients in Delhi, the Modi government has decided to immediately provide 500 railway coaches which will be equipped with all facilities for treatment of COVID-19 patients, he said.
Shah said a joint team of doctors of the union health ministry, Delhi government’s health department, AIIMS and the three Municipal Corporation of Delhi will visit all COVID-designated hospitals in the capital and prepare a report after inspecting the health systems and preparedness.
The development comes two days after the Supreme Court lashed out at the AAP government, describing as “horrific” the state of affairs in Delhi hospitals with bodies being stacked next to COVID-19 patients. (PTI)
