No hospital can deny admission to suspected Covid-19 patient, Delhi govt passes order

New Delhi: As the national capital witnesses surge in Coronavirus cases in past week, the Delhi government has said that no hospital can deny admission to any Coronavirus patient, even if he/she is a suspected case.

The Delhi government passed an order in this regard today.

“All hospitals operating in Delhi including those run by Delhi government, Govt of India and Urban local bodies, Army and private sector are directed to ensure that no patient who is having COVID symptoms and is in moderate and severe category be denied admission on pretext that the patient is not having Covid-19 positive report,” read the Delhi govt order.

Such patients should be kept in Covid suspect area. If the report comes positive, he should be sent to Covid hospital otherwise to non-Covid hospital.

No hospital can turn away suspected Covid patients

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal cam down heavily on city’s hospitals for their refusal to admit suspected Covid patients.

“We will pass an order that no hospital can deny a person treatment if they are suspected corona patient. They will have to consider that person as suspect case and start treatment as there is no medicine for corona,” Kejriwal said during a press conference.

The Delhi government has finalised an augmentation plan according to which five government hospitals, dedicated to Covid-19 treatment in the city, will increase their cumulative bed capacity by 9,000 to 13,870, including 750 beds with ventilator support, in three phases over the next three weeks, HT reported.