3 hotels delinked from city hospitals

A GOVT ORDER ISSUED ON SUNDAY CITED POOR ROOM OCCUPANCY AND EXPENDITURE ON FACILITIES AS REASONS FOR THE DECISION

nNEWDELHI: The Delhi government on Sunday delinked three prominent hotels in the city from the plan in which beds are being provided at city hotels, turning them into extended Covid hospitals, citing poor room occupancy and expenditure on staff and maintenance of facilities.

In June, the Delhi government had acquired 40 hotels in the city as part of a drive to augment covid-dedicated beds to 80,000 in the city by July 31. These hotels were part of the augmentation strategy.

In an order issued on Sunday evening, the government said Hotel Piccadily in the Janakpuri District Centre complex which was linked to Mata Chanan Devi Hospital, Hotel Taj Vivanta in Dwarka which was linked to Akash Healthcare Super Speciality Hospital and Hotel Pride Plaza in Delhi Aerocity that was linked to Venkateswara Hospital in Dwarka have been delinked because of very poor bed occupancy.

As per the order, Hotel Welcome in Dwarka Sector 10 which was linked with Manipal Hospital in Sector 6 of Dwarka will now act as the extended Covid hotel for the all the three other hospitals as well. The hotel has 300 rooms, said the order.

“It has come to the notice that during last fortnight, only 25 rooms out of 900 rooms of these hotels have been utilised by the hospitals till date. On the other hand, these hotels are requesting to make arrangements so that their premises are utilised as they are incurring huge expenditure on the salaries, maintenance and other related expenses for keeping the rooms of their hotels ready round the clock,” the order said.

“In current scenario one hotel is sufficient to link all four hospitals as extended covid hospital. Proposal for the same was placed before the principal secretary health and the same has been accorded,” said the order signed by the incident commander attached with subdivisional magistrate in Dwarka,” the order read.

Representatives of all four hotels said they will need time to respond since the order has come out late. Two of them said their public relations executives were not available since it is Sunday and hence they could not provide a comment.

Authorities has planned to set up 11,229 beds in 77 banquet halls, which will function under the Delhi government, and 4,628 beds in 40 hotels, which will be supervised by private hospitals.