Delhi / Update status of bed every 2 hours: Delhi govt orders hospitals

New Delhi: All Delhi hospitals admitting COVID-19 patients have been directed by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government to update the status of bed availability every two hours.

The heads of the hospitals providing COVID-19 care will have to update the information on the Delhi Corona App as frequently as possible, maintaining an interval not exceeding two hours. The nodal officers and in-charges at hospitals have been tasked with ensuring compliance.

The order dated May 6 and issued by SM Ali, Special Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, stated that the direction came following reports of delay in updating hospital bed availability status, adding to the troubles of ailing patients.

It read: “It has been reported that many hospitals are not updating the status of different categories of beds regularly on the designated portal and Delhi Corona App. This is creating hardship to the public who, in the absence of reliable information, are forced to spend time and energy in searching for vacant beds and are subjected to great harassment and agony.”

As per the Delhi corona app, 22,099 beds are earmarked for coronavirus patients in the city, of which 19,961 (90 percent) are occupied at the moment. Out of the 5,580 COVID-19 ICU beds available, 5,547 or 99.4 percent are full.