Covid19 -Oxygen Shortage: Delhi High Court Hearing-Live Updates

Mehra: What I understand is that we should go to PSUs, hotels and convention centres but not to the hospitals which are meant to provide for times of emergency.

Mehra: Why are these beds not being given to the citizens of Delhi when they are meant for the citizens of Delhi, that is the question.

Mehra: Covid needs hospital beds, 2nd stage is ICU, and 3rd stage - may we never reach it - is ventilators.

Mehra: These are isolation centres not hospital beds. This way every house has a bed. The specific order was for beds with and without ventilators and oxygen. Isolation beds are not hospital beds.

Addl Sec: We will augment further, we are looking into other facilities also.

Court: Please do it. Forget common man on the street, even if I were to ask for a bed, it would not be available right now. People's needs should be met.

Addl Sec: I need to clarify that all beds in AIIMS and centre govt hospitals are for Delhi. In DDMA meeting, it was discussed that Delhi govt should rope in smaller facilities, clinics.

Mehra: All right I'm very grateful. AIIMS Trauma Centre and AIIMS Jhajjhar, R&R, Lady Harding - if we can get 80% beds from there we would have nearly 12,000 beds. I'm not touching AIIMS Delhi, I know the situation there.

Mehra: My only concern is that the 250 ICU beds they have said they have given us yesterday are they infact physically available?

Addl Sec: Yes they are, infact the DRDO beds are being managed by the Delhi Govt.

Addl Sec Arti Ahuja: Our beds are present in the Delhi app, there is no handing over process. Our contribution includes the ESIC hospitals and Railway coaches, 4159 beds given to Delhi Govt excluding 300 beds in base hospital.

Court takes up aspect of hospital beds availability.

Addl Secretary MOHFW: We are tying up with corporates, PSUs to give CSR funds for makeshift hospitals as well.