New Delhi (NVI): Following a high-level meeting, held on November 15 to review the Covid situation in Delhi, the Ministry of Home Affairs today announced a slew of measures to tackle the surge in new coronavirus cases in the national capital.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had chaired an emergency meeting on Sunday, following which an action plan was made to contain the Covid infections from spreading further.
Notably, the national capital witnessed an alarming increase in new cases recently, as 6,396 cases were reported Tuesday, up from 3,797 infections on Monday. Delhi’s Covid-19 caseload tally stood at 4,95,598 on Tuesday including 7,812 deaths.
The Home Ministry had also shared details of measures under a 12-point action plan being undertaken to bring the situation under control. Today, the Ministry shared all these measures in detail on its official Twitter handle.
These include conducting house-to-house survey, more doctors and paramedics, deploying mobile testing vans, increasing number of ICU beds, ventilators and BIPAP machines, increasing daily testing capacity, etc.
“Following Union Home Minister @AmitShah holding meeting on Delhi COVID situation on Nov 15 slew of measures underway. DRDO to add 250 ICU beds to its already existing 250 ICU beds & also to create 35 BIPAP beds in next 3 to 4 days at its COVID hospital near Delhi airport,” MHA said in a series of tweets.
Following Union Home Minister @AmitShah holding meeting on Delhi COVID situation on Nov 15 slew of measures underway. DRDO to add 250 ICU beds to its already existing 250 ICU beds & also to create 35 BIPAP beds in next 3 to 4 days at its COVID hospital near Delhi airport.
— Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) November 18, 2020
In another step, 45 doctors and 160 para-medics from CAPFs have reached Delhi for deployment at DRDO hospital near Delhi airport already and at COVID care centre at Chhatarpur. Remaining doctors and medics are expected to reach Delhi in next few days, MHA said.
Apart from that planning for house to house survey in Delhi is in advanced stage. The survey is expected to begin by the weekend and completed by 25 November. In this regard, an orientation meeting of DCs/DCs (MCD) and other stakeholders has been held by the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
Under Home Minister Amit Shah’s directions after the Sunday meeting, also attended by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Delhi government are now working together to enhance RT-PCR testing capacity to 60,000 tests by end of November. Testing capacity in Delhi already enhanced by 10,000 tests per day on November 17.
“To bring testing closer to Delhi residents as directed by Union Home Minister @AmitShah, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to help Govt of NCT of Delhi in deploying 10 mobile testing labs for COVID with total capacity of 20,000 tests in phased manner beginning next week,” MHA said in a tweet.
To bring testing closer to Delhi residents as directed by Union Home Minister @AmitShah, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to help Govt of NCT of Delhi in deploying 10 mobile testing labs for COVID with total capacity of 20,000 tests in phased manner beginning next week.
— Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) November 18, 2020
“ICMR also to help in augmenting capacity by 2,000 tests of existing Delhi labs by deploying more manpower, increasing number of shifts & placing more equipment & thru engagement with pvt sector labs. Aiming to reach testing level of 60,000 RT-PCR tests per day by November end,” it added.
5 RT-PCR labs including at AIIMS, Delhi have already started functioning round the clock, according to the Ministry.
MHA has also constituted 10 multi-disciplinary teams to visit more than 100 private hospitals in Delhi for assessing bed utilization and testing capacity and to identify extra ICU beds on directions of Home Minister. Visits by teams are underway.
In addition to this, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has dispatched 250 ventilators from Bengaluru. They are expected to reach Delhi by weekend. Ministry of Health has also delivered 35 BIPAP machines to DRDO COVID facility near Delhi airport. 25 BIPAP machines for Delhi Govt are to be provided by the Health Ministry.
Apart from that, Indian Railways is also making available train coaches with 800 beds at Shakur Basti railway station. Doctors and para-medics from CAPFs will man these coaches as COVID care cum isolation facility, as per the MHA directions.
-ARK
