HOLD REVIEW MEET BY JAN 18 ON ICU BEDS RESERVATION: HC TELLS DELHI GOVT

NEW DELHI The Delhi high court Tuesday asked the Delhi government to conduct by January 18 a review meeting on reservation of ICU beds in 33 private hospitals here for Covid-19 patients.

The court, which was informed that the Delhi government has now reduced Covid-19 ICU beds reservation to 40 per cent, said it will continue hearing the arguments next week on a plea by Association of Healthcare Providers (AHP) seeking quashing of the government’s September 12 order to reserve 80 per cent ICU beds for Covid-19 patients in these hospitals.

Justice Navin Chawla, after hearing arguments for several hours, listed the matter for further hearing on January 19.

“You (Delhi government) do a review meeting by January 18 and we will hear it on January 19,” the judge said.

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain, representing Delhi government, said not a single non-covid-19 patient has come to the court that he was denied treatment in the hospital due to 80 per cent reservation.

He stated further that not even a single private hospital has approached the high court claiming that they suffered financial loss due to this reservation order.

“We have already brought it down to 40 per cent. The September 12, 2020 decision (to reserve 80 per cent ICU beds in 33 private hospitals for Covid-19 patients) was well informed and a rationale decision. It was not arbitrary and has not caused any financial loss to the hospitals,” he contended.