Amid rising Covid cases, Delhi govt hospitals conduct mock drills

NEW DELHI: Following the increase in COVID cases in the national capital, mock drills were conducted in the Delhi hospitals on Sunday to review preparedness.

COVID cases have seen a rise in the country lately, including in the national capital, which reported 153 new cases on Sunday.

A mock drill was conducted in this regard to analyze the preparedness in case of a steep rise in COVID cases.

During the drill, arrangements including ambulance, admission facility, emergency services, COVID wards, and oxygen and ventilator availability were analyzed.

Delhi's Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, believed to be the largest for COVID patients in the city, has 450 beds reserved for the infected patients.

LNJP Medical Director Dr. Suresh Kumar told ANI that there are nearly 2,000 beds in the hospital, out of which 450 have been reserved for COVID patients.

"There are a total of two thousand beds in our hospital, out of which 450 beds have been reserved for COVID patients. These are all oxygen beds. However, at present, we have only two COVID patients under treatment.

Till a month ago, there was not a single COVID patient in LNJP, but in the past, four patients were admitted here, out of which two have recovered, while one is still on the ventilator and one is on oxygen support," he said.

The doctor informed that a team of 20 doctors has been constituted for COVID patients and training is being given to new doctors for the COVID ward.

"Currently, the patients are not needed to be admitted to the hospital with the ongoing variant, they are getting cured at home. But in spite of this, we conducted a mock drill and took stock. As of now, we have set up a team of 20 doctors for COVID patients. We are also giving training to the new doctors according to COVID. We checked the supply of oxygen on all the beds, the functioning status of ventilators, the status of bipap machines, and the stock of medicines," the doctor said.

Speaking about the shortage of oxygen in the city during the second wave of COVID, Dr Kumar said that adequate preparations have been made to fulfil the demands for all beds at the hospital.

"Right now there is a sufficient arrangement of oxygen in our hospital. There are two big oxygen plants, and apart from that there are five PS plants. We are producing 45 tonnes of oxygen every day by ourselves without any external support, which is sufficient for our two thousand beds," he said.

Delhi's Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj said that the mock drills are being conducted in all Delhi government hospitals in the city and shortcomings will be removed.

"Six states of the country were alerted by the Center regarding COVID. If the cases of COVID increase in those states, then its effect is now visible on Delhi as well. Therefore, to review the preparedness, we felt that a mock drill should be conducted in all the hospitals of the Delhi Government. The existing system has been examined and according to the report, the shortcomings will be removed," he said.

He said that there is no need to take any major step in regard to the restrictions now and necessary steps will be taken after a discussion with District Disaster Management Authority.

"Two weeks ago, we sent an advisory regarding COVID to all the hospitals and asked the officials to run an awareness campaign. Looking at their experiences where cases are increasing faster than in Delhi, what kind of restriction is not needed right now. But the government is closely monitoring, whenever there is a need to take any major step, we will discuss it in DDMA and will take steps accordingly," the Minister said.