Reserve ICU beds for COVID-19 patients: Healthcare providers seek roll back of Delhi govt order

The Association of Healthcare Providers of India (AHPI) has requested the Delhi government headed by Arvind Kejriwal to roll back the order passed for the private hospitals in the city to reserve 80 percent of the ICU beds for Coronavirus patients, the Indian Express reported. The AHPI also said that the order could pose serious risks to the lives of non-Covid-19 patients due to lack of availability of beds for critical patients. The association also claimed that the government did not engage with the medical fraternity and associations in the city before passing the order. It also said that if not rolled back, the association would seek the intervention of the court in the matter.

Dr Girdhar Gyani, director of AHPI was quoted as saying that the government order would not only expose hospital patients to Coronavirus but also deprive the non-Covid patients of their rights. He also said that it would have been apt for the government to hold consultation with the association before passing the orders. However, a top Delhi government official who wanted to remain anonymous told the Indian Express that the government had reached out to every private hospital in the city before passing the order. The official also said that all the hospitals had agreed to the proposal put out by the Minister.

The data collected by the AHPI from leading private hospitals in the city showed that more non-Covid patients were in need of ICU beds than Coronavirus patients. The data was collected over the last two months. In one of the top private hospitals in the city only 15 percent of the ICU beds were brought to use for the care of Coronavirus patients in contrast to the 85 percent for non Covid patients over the month of July and August.

The development comes after the Kejriwal government passed orders all private hospitals in the city having more than 50 beds to reserve about 80 percent of the ICU beds for Coronavirus patients.