Arrange Oxygen, Provide ICU Beds & Medical Team: Sisodia Writes to Rajnath Singh Seeking Army's Help

Delhi government has sought the help of the Indian army to set up, operationalise and run some Covid-19 health facilities with about 10,000 oxygenated non-ICU beds and 1,000 ICU beds as the capital continues grappling with surging Covid cases and daily deaths.

In a letter Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia wrote to defence minister Rajnath Singh seeking Army’s help in creating additional ICU and non-ICU beds in Delhi, Hindustan Times reported.

“Since the entire health infrastructure machinery is overwhelmed with the management of the existing hospitals and the upcoming Covid hospitals, it will be a timely help to the people of Delhi if the ministry of defence, with the considerable resources at its command, is tasked with the responsibility to provide and man the additional Covid health facilities as per the current projections,” Sisodia reportedly stated in the letter requesting supply for medical oxygen for the Covid health facilities.

The report said that Delhi currently has 16,272 non-ICU oxygen beds and 4,866 ICU beds. The state government has added additional 15,000 oxygenated non-ICU beds and 1,200 ICU beds, which will be operational in the next 10 days.

Sisodia wrote that since Delhi is recording over 25,000 daily new cases and about 10 percent of the new cases require hospitalisation, the additional health infrastructure will soon be at its capacity.

He also urged the ministry to provide cryogenic tankers for the transport of Liquid Medical Oxygen adding that he needs the Army’s help in procuring about 40,000 D Type medical oxygen cylinders.

The Deputy CM also requested the ministry to provide medical and paramedical teams to supplement the medical manpower of Delhi.

Earlier, after Rajnath Singh’s intervention a 500-bed hospital being set up by the Defence Research Defence Organisation in Lucknow. Another hospital is also being set up in Varanasi which is scheduled to be completed by May 5.

Delhi reported 407 COVID-19 fatalities and 20,394 cases with a positivity rate of 28.33 per cent on Sunday, according to a bulletin issued by the Delhi health department. This is the second consecutive day the capital has recorded over 400 fatalities due to the deadly virus.

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