Centre Announces Slew Of Measures To Tackle Delhi COVID-19 Situation

The Union Home Ministry on Wednesday announced a slew of measures to tackle the COVID-19 situation in the national capital as Delhi witnesses a spurt in Coronavirus cases and the increasing strain on the healthcare system.

Key actions:

• Deployment of additional doctors and paramedics from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF)
• Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to add 250 ICU beds to the existing 250 ICU beds, and create 35 BIPAP beds in next 3 to 4 days at its COVID hospital near Delhi airport

In another step taken after the meeting, 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: MHA#COVID19

— ANI (@ANI) November 18, 2020

• Indian Railways to make available train coaches with 800 beds at Shakur Basti Railway Station. Doctors and paramedics from paramilitary forces to man the coaches as COVID care-cum-isolation facilities
• Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has dispatched 250 ventilators from Bengaluru. Expected to reach Delhi by the weekend

To bring testing closer to Delhi residents as directed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to 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: MHA

— ANI (@ANI) November 18, 2020

• Health Ministry has delivered 35 BIPAP machines to DRDO COVID facility near Delhi airport
• To bring testing closer to Delhi residents, ICMR to help Delhi government in deploying 10 mobile testing labs for COVID with a total capacity of 20,000 tests in a phased manner beginning next week
• Plans to conduct a house to house survey. Expected to begin by the weekend and end by November 25
• ICMR to help in augmenting capacity by 2,000 tests of Delhi labs by deploying more manpower, increasing number of shifts and placing more equipment and involving private sector labs. It is aiming to enhance RT-PCR testing capacity to 60,000 tests per day by November end