The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has taken a slew of measures post a key meeting on the worsening COVID-19 situation in the national capital. From enhanced testing to increasing ICU beds and conducting house to house surveys, the ministry has come out with a number of decisions that will help bring situation in Delhi under control. The Indian Railways is making available coaches with 800 beds at Shakur Basti railway station while doctors and para-medics from paramilitary forces will man the coaches which will act as COVID care-cum-isolation facilities. Earlier on Tuesday, Delhi recorded 6,396 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the infection tally in the national capital to over 4.95 lakh, even as 99 new fatalities pushed the toll to 7,812.
In a statement, the ministry said that the DRDO will add 250 ICU beds to its already existing 250 ICU beds. It will also create 35 BIPAP beds in next three to four days at its COVID hospital near Delhi airport.
"Already 45 doctors & 160 para-medics from CAPFs have reached Delhi for deployment at DRDO hospital near Delhi airport and at COVID care centre at Chhatarpur. Remaining doctors and medics to reach Delhi in next few days," the ministry said.
The home ministry 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 Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
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Meanwhile, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has dispatched 250 ventilators from Bengaluru which are expected to reach Delhi by weekend. Ministry of Health has delivered 35 BIPAP machines to the DRDO COVID facility near Delhi airport. 25 BIPAP machines for Delhi Govt will be provided by the Health Ministry.
The home ministry also said that it was planning for house to house survey in Delhi in advanced stage. The survey is expected to begin by weekend and will be completed by November 25. The ICMR & Delhi govt are working together to enhance RT-PCR testing to 60,000 tests by November end. Testing capacity has already been enhanced by 10,000 tests/day on November 17, the home ministry said.
To bring testing closer to Delhi residents as directed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will help Govt of Delhi in deploying 10 mobile testing labs for COVID with total capacity of 20,000 tests in phased manner beginning next week, the MHA statement read.
ICMR will also help in augmenting capacity by 2,000 tests of existing Delhi labs by deploying more manpower, increasing number of shifts and placing more equipment and through engagement with pvt sector labs. Aiming to reach testing level of 60,000 RT-PCR tests per day by November end, the ministry said.
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