New Delhi:
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged to increase the number of beds reserved for COVID positive patients in Central Government hospitals from the existing 1,800 to 7,000. The Chief Minister also wrote that hospitals in Delhi are in dire need of oxygen and the city is in immediate need of oxygen to meet the increasing demand.
In a letter, Kejriwal wrote to Modi that the current situation is extremely grim, with Delhi facing an acute shortage of beds and oxygen, and almost all ICU beds being full. He said that while the Delhi government was pulling all stops to meet the current demands, it would require aid from the Centre.
He further wrote that the Centre’s hospitals in Delhi have close to 10,000 beds of which only 1,800 beds are reserved for COVID patients. Given the seriousness of Delhi, the number of these beds may please be increased to 7,000. Since Delhi is also facing a severe shortage of oxygen, the same would need to be arranged for on an immediate basis.
In his letter, Kejriwal wrote that he had apprised Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan and Home Minister Amit Shah about the situation in Delhi.
The CM expressed his gratitude to the Centre for the 500 ICU beds set up by DRDO, and stated that if this number were to increase to 1,000, it would be of great help to Delhi.
Kejriwal further stated that up until now, the Centre had extended all possible help when required, and hoped that this would continue.
