New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Monday inspected a COVID Care Centre at the Ramlila Ground near GTB hospital. Kejriwal said that by 11th May, 500 ICU beds will be ready for use here and near LNJP at the main Ramlila Ground too, 500 ICU beds will be set up in some days. These 1,000 beds are expected to reduce the scarcity of ICU beds in the city.
The Chief Minister said that the Delhi government is also increasing the number of oxygen beds and there will be no scarcity of beds. He further said that the Delhi government is working on developing appropriate COVID infrastructure in the Capital and is well aware of the real possibility of a third wave. Delhi’s current infrastructure can manage 30,000 cases per day.
Kejriwal said that the city’s vaccine supply is acute, with stocks that would last for just 3-4 days. He appealed to the Centre to send the required amount of vaccines to Delhi as soon as possible.
CM Kejriwal had tweeted, “500 ICU beds have been constructed in 2 weeks at Ramlila Maidan opp. GTB hospital. Patients will be admitted from tomorrow. My heartfelt gratitude to all the engineers who made it happen in record time.”
Kejriwal said, “We’re at the Ramlila Ground, in front of the GTB Hospital, where we’ve set up a 500-bed ICU Centre within 10 dats. We know how dangerous the second wave has been -- which has seen several people being affected, it has seen several deaths, the infection spread on a massive level. There has been a great need for ICU beds. Since Delhi saw a shortage of ICU beds, 500 such beds have been set up here. Only monitors are left to be set up, which too will be made available by tonight. Starting tomorrow, these 500 ICU beds, attached with the GTB Hospital will become functional.”
He further said, “A similar 500-bed ICU centre will be set up at the Ramlila Maidan in front of LNJP Hospital within 2-3 days. It is hoped that these 1,000 operational ICU beds will meet the needs of Delhi. We are also increasing the number of oxygen beds. By this evening, we are expected to receive 1,000 oxygen cylinders, and in the next 3-4 days we expect additional oxygen cylinders to arrive. We are creating new oxygen beds across the city, and hope that Delhi will no longer see any shortage of beds.”
Kejriwal said, “Oxygen tanks have been installed outside and are to expend 22MT oxygen, which is expected to reduce the scarcity of oxygen.”
On the question of the possibility of a third wave, Kejriwal said, “We should certainly prepare for the third wave, for which we will have to further expand our infrastructure. Delhi witnessed a wave in November when 8,500 cases emerged, which we had successfully managed. With this wave, we touched a maximum of 28,000 cases, which brought our entire infrastructure under duress. However, the scale at which we are preparing our infrastructure, and the scale at which we are executing the same, even if 30,000 cases are to come up in the next wave, we are ready to deal with it.”
He said, “I hope the peak has passed, I hope the cases reduce in the coming days but after being in the Government and as the Chief Minister of Delhi, I would not want to give any concessions. From my end, I’d like complete preparations in place, should the cases suddenly begin to increase from tomorrow. Nobody can predict anything about this. If the cases begin to increase, we are prepared and the people need not be worried.”
Kejriwal added, “Delhi is left with vaccines that will last only 3-4 days. Today, we are giving out 1-1.25 lakh doses, and will take it to 3 lakh doses in the next few days. Therefore, if we are to give 3 lakh doses per day, we can give 90 lakh doses in 1 month. We can vaccinate the entire Delhi in the next 3 months. Experts all around the world believe that in the UK, the US, where cases declined, vaccines have played a major role. If we can vaccinate our people on a large scale, then probably we can be saved from the Third Wave.”
The Delhi CM said, “There is a paucity of supply. We have placed orders with the company, but we believe that the Central Government is responsible for allotment because we receive letters from the Central government pertaining to an allotment. It is my humble request to the Central government to give us as many vaccines as possible. This is not a time for politics, but to help everyone by working together.”
