‘COVID nursing home order withdrawn in anticipation of vector-borne diseases’
NEW DELHI: Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Monday said that the decision to install COVID beds in nursing homes was reversed due to the approaching seasonal vector-borne diseases like Dengue and Malaria. The Health Minister went on to explain that the Delhi Government is fighting a battle against the Coronavirus as well as preparing for diseases due to the upcoming monsoon season.
Jain said: “The decision to install 10-49 COVID beds in the nursing homes was taken by the Delhi government keeping in view that these beds might be required for COVID treatment. However, the season of other ailments like Dengue and Malaria is also approaching, and so this decision was revoked so that these nursing homes can be preserved for those treatments.” “Cementing and other necessary works are being done on war-footing. We are making all necessary preparations in the wake of the upcoming monsoon season,” he added.
On the decision to acquire properties for the installation of more beds for treatment of COVID-19 patients, Jain said that trains, banquet halls, and other properties will be used as the extensions of the hospitals for the treatment of less serious patients, while serious patients will be treated in the hospitals. “We have around 45% of beds available even today. More than the cases, the real question is how many beds do we need for the treatment of the patients. We are making all the necessary arrangements as per the planning,” he added.
The Cabinet Minister spoke on the use of the term “community transmission” for which he
had faced flak from the media. He clarified: “We should not go in addressing the technical term of ‘community spread’. There is a Coronavirus outbreak in Delhi, and this novel virus spreads in big cities where there are close community areas.”
“The Central government is extending to us the facilities of the testing labs that are under its jurisdiction. Delhi has been the only state to conduct maximum tests across the country, and it will continue to do so in the future with the support of the central government,” he added.