MCDS offer space to set up Covid facilities

With health care facilities across the Capital overburdened with the unprecedented rise in Covid-19 cases and citizens complaining of difficulties in finding hospital beds, the east, north, and south municipal corporations have written to the Delhi government, offering to convert their schools and community centres into Covid care hospitals and isolation centres.

The second wave of Covid-19 across the country — and the fourth in Delhi — has turned out to be the deadliest so far in terms of cases and fatalities. Delhi is currently recording at least 25,000 new cases and over 300 deaths every day.

At present, Delhi has 21,199 beds for Covid-19 patients, of which 5,032 are ICU beds. Besides, there are over 5,000 beds in dedicated Covid care centres and 204 in dedicated health care centres.

The East Delhi Municipal Corporation

NEW DELHI:

(EDMC) sent a list of 20 schools and six community centres to the Delhi government that could be converted into Covid isolation centres. Officials said each school can have 50 beds. The civic body runs around 360 primary schools.

Mayor of east civic body Nirmal Jain said they have told the Delhi government that these spaces can be immediately used for Covid patients. “We have assured that we will arrange water, electricity and sanitation facilities. The government can set up beds and other medical infrastructure. We will help in that as well,” he said.

Similarly, the north corporation has also offered to convert the 714 primary schools that it runs into Covid-19 hospitals, isolation, and care centers. Mayor Jai Prakash on Friday said the municipality had written to the Delhi government on April 19, offering to convert their schools, community centres, and polyclinics into dedicated Covid facilities. Around 7,000 beds can be added by letting the government use the municipality-owned buildings. “We have assured the government that we will provide every possible help from our side to fight this pandemic,” he said.

Prakash said that they have sent a list of 100 schools where beds can be set up. “In each school building, at least 50 beds can be set up,” he said.

Officials from the South Delhi Municipal Corporation, which runs 580 primary schools, said they have offered available resources to bolster public health infrastructure. Mayor Anamika Mithilesh Singh said, “We are working with officials to identify which schools can be offered as dedicated Covid facilities. We will be releasing the list in the coming days.”

A Delhi government official, said, “In case these schools and community centres (offered by MCDS) are required, the government will make use of them. Some isolation centres are already operating in MCD schools in Delhi.”