10k beds, 18k tonnes of ACs: What to expect in Delhi’s biggest Covid facility
On Wednesday, this was a patients’ section up on display at the campus of Radha Soami Satsang Beas in south Delhi’s Chhatarpur, which is set to be the biggest Covid-19 temporary hospital in India with over 10,000 beds.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday that the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has been given the responsibility to operate the 10,000-bed COVID-19 centre at Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) campus in south Delhi’s Chhatarpur.
The tweet came in reaction to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s request for deployment of doctors and nurses from the ITBP and the Army at the centre, which is located near the Delhi-Haryana border.
In full swing
“Dear Kejriwal ji, It has already been decided in our meeting 3 days back and MHA has assigned the work of operating the 10,000 bed COVID-19 Care Centre at Radha Swami Beas in Delhi to ITBP. The work is in full swing and a large part of the facility will be operational by 26th Jun. [sic],” Mr. Shah tweeted.
1,000-bed hospital
Responding to the tweet, Mr. Kejriwal said: “The country’s military, doctors, social institutions, central government and Delhi government – all are working unitedly for Delhi. I am sure we will all together beat Corona. Thank you for helping the Delhi government and the people of Delhi in these difficult circumstances.”
Mr. Kejriwal also invited Mr. Shah to inspect the centre.
In a subsequent tweet, Mr. Shah said a 1,000-bed hospital with 250 ICU beds was being developed for COVID-19 patients by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Tata Trust. This COVID-19 care centre will be manned by Armed Forces personnel and be ready in the next 10 days, Mr. Shah added.
“Armed Forces personnel will provide medical care and attention to COVID-19 patients housed in railway coaches in Delhi; 8,000 additional beds have already been placed at Delhi government’s disposal for making COVID care centres, as per requirement,” he stated in a subsequent tweet.
