Paramilitary docs, addl 800 beds to curb Delhi surge

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Box 1: Daily cases above 5K

Daily cases in Delhi breached the 5,000-mark for the first time in October 28. The single-day rise in cases crossed the 8,000-mark on November 11.

Box 2: Hry too sees rise

Health Ministry data shows that 76 per cent of daily new cases recorded on Wednesday were in 10 states which include Haryana at the fifth position after Delhi, Kerala, Bengal and Maharashtra.

Box 3: Feluda test strips soon

Feluda paper strip test for Covid diagnosis is expected to hit the markets within a fortnight. The indigenous test has already been approved by the drug controller for commercial launch in India.

Mukesh Ranjan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 18

To curb the rising Covid cases in the National Capital, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has rushed 45 doctors and 160 paramedics from the Central Armed Police Forces to take charge of the DRDO-run hospital near Delhi airport.

The MHA has also roped in the Railways to provide coaches with 800 additional isolation beds at Shakurbasti station.

The developments took place following a high-level review meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on November 15. He had directed the CAPFs and other Central agencies to initiate steps to contain the Covid spread.

MHA officials said the DRDO would add another 250 ICU beds at its facility. The MHA has also constituted 10 multi-disciplinary teams to visit more than 100 private hospitals in the city to assess bed utilisation and testing capacity.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has provided 25 BIPAP machines for the Delhi government while Bharat Electronics Limited has dispatched 250 ventilators from Bengaluru.

MHA officials said a house-to-house survey was expected to begin by the weekend and completed by November 25.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Delhi Government are working together to enhance the RT-PCR testing capacity to 60,000 by the month end.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has called an all-party meeting on Thursday to discuss the situation.