Delhi's Taj Mansingh Hotel to reserve rooms for COVID-19 patients
Delhi's Taj Mansingh Hotel has now been turned into a COVID-19 facility. The Delhi government on Tuesday ordered the five-star hotel to isolate all its rooms and accommodate patients of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. Earlier this month, the Delhi government had refused to reopen hotels saying that they may be required to expand hospital space amid rising COVID-19 cases in the national capital.
Hotel to look after housekeeping, food, disinfection, etc.
The Delhi government has directed the Taj Mansingh Hotel to place all its rooms at the disposal of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. According to the government order, the hotel staff will be provided with protective gear and given basic training. The hotel will be in charge of housekeeping duties, food for the patients, disinfection, etc., the order stated.
Rs. 5,000 a day to be charged at hotel
The rent for a room at the hotel will be Rs. 5,000 a day, NDTV reported. A maximum of Rs. 5,000 per day can be charged for medical services, excluding oxygen support. An additional Rs. 2,000 can be charged a day for oxygen cylinders.
Hospital will be responsible for ambulances, collecting fee, etc.
The Sir Ganga Ram Hospital will provide ambulances for transport facilities and will be responsible for biomedical waste disposal. The hospital will also make up for any shortage of hotel staff. It will collect the charges from patients and then reimburse the hotel, the order stated. The hospital may also accommodate doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff at the hotel at their own expense.
Delhi third-worst hit region in India
Till Monday, Delhi had reported 42,829 COVID-19 cases, the third-highest for any state/union territory in India. The death toll stands at 1,400. The number of cases has spiked in the past few days, raising worries about the ability of Delhi's health infrastructure to accommodate patients. Delhi is expected to have 5.5 lakh coronavirus cases by July-end, by when 80,000 beds will be required.
Delhi, central governments working together to fight COVID-19
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had held a crucial meeting on Sunday to work out a strategy to combat COVID-19. It was decided that Delhi will be supplied with 500 railway coaches, converted into isolation wards, to address the shortage of beds. 50 such coaches have already been provided and are stationed at east Delhi's Anand Vihar station.
