New Delhi: With new COVID-19 cases in Delhi crossing the 1,000 mark for the second consecutive day and the total number of cases reaching 17,386, the health department today requisitioned five hotels in the city, attaching them to COVID-19 hospitals, for augmenting the bed supply by a thousand.The order, issued by Delhi health secretary Padmini Singla, said the hotels would be requisitioned by the concerned district magistrate.Serious patients to be shifted to main hospitalsAs per the order, Hotel Crown Plaza in Okhla Phase-I would be attached to Batra Hospital and Research Centre, Hotel Surya in New Friends Colony to Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Hotel Siddharth at Rajendra Place to Dr. B.L. Kapur Memorial Hospital, Hotel Jivitesh at Pusa Road to Sir Ganga Ram City Hospital, and Hotel Sheraton at Saket District Centre to Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital.The health department has also specified that the private hospitals, which would be getting additional space in these hotels, would use them to admit COVID-19 positive patients “as per the patient’s medical condition and in case such patients turn into severe at any point of time during their stay in the hotel, he/she shall be transferred/admitted in the attached private hospital at its scheduled rates”.Converted hotels to have both regular and emergency equipmentThe order also noted that private hospital would provide manpower (nurses and doctors) as also oxygen supply, either in the form of oxygen concentrator or oxygen cylinder, in the extended COVID Hospital in case a patient requires oxygen support. Also, provision for consumables like PPE kit, N95 masks, gloves, medicines and equipment like pulse-oximeter, thermometer, oxygen concentrator or cylinder will be made by the respective hospitals.In these hotels that are being converted to hospitals, necessary arrangements for resuscitation services (equipment, drugs and medical consumables) would also be made to address any rapid deterioration in the clinical condition of a patient.Also read: AIIMS Battles COVID Spread Among Staff, Surge in Cases Over Past Two DaysPatients to be charged max of Rs 5,000 for room, Rs 2,000 for oxygenThe hotels would be required to provide regular hotel services such as rooms, housekeeping, disinfection and food for the patients. For this, they will be charging a maximum of Rs 5,000 per day for five-star category and Rs 4,000 per day for three or four star category.The hospitals would be allowed to charge up to Rs 5,000 per patient per day for their medical services and this would be inclusive of all consumables, services of doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and nursing staff. However, investigation charges, would be extra and oxygen support would also be chargeable separately at up to Rs 2,000 per day per bed.The order noted that the linked hospitals would be able to accommodate their doctors and staff at the hotel, but at their own expense.The order is being seen as an attempt to augment the availability of beds quickly since Delhi has seen a rapid increase in new COVID-19 cases. The city witnessed a rise of 1,106 cases during the past 24 hours.Death toll rises by 82 as 69 unrecorded cases are reconciledMeanwhile, the official death toll due to the coronavirus shot up to 398 today with 82 more deaths that took place in the last one month being added to the tally today upon proper verification of all cases. The government said on May 27, 13 deaths were reported.Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said the remaining 69 deaths had taken place over the past 34 days. “These cases are being recorded now due to late reporting by various hospitals or due to incomplete submission of information,” he added.Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal today said that “more than 80% of coronavirus positive patients either have no symptoms at all or show very mild symptoms and most people recover in about 17 days if they follow proper home isolation guidelines”.In a 15-minute video and a statement, he also shared various home isolation guidelines COVID-19 positive patients and their neighbours should follow.
