COVID-19: No ICU Beds with Ventilators Available at Nearly 60 Delhi Hospitals

New Delhi: Amid spiralling cases of COVID-19 in the national capital, the number of available Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds equipped with ventilators is shrinking fast at several hospitals here, with zero vacancy at nearly 60 facilities, according to official data.

The rise in cases of the infection has happened at a time when approaching winter and severely deteriorating air quality in the city have worsened complications in people with respiratory illnesses.

According to the online Corona dashboard of the Delhi government at 12:30 p.m on Thursday, only 131 COVID-19 ICU beds were available out of 1,362 such beds at various facilities here.

There was no vacancy at Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH), Max hospital's facilities at Saket, Patparganj and Shalimar Bagh, Batra hospital, Fortis hospital's facilities at Shalimar Bagh and Vasant Kunj and Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, and Venkateshwara Hospital in Dwarka, among others, as per the data.

The RGSSH, a dedicated coronavirus facility under the Delhi government, has 200 ICU beds with ventilators, all occupied, while at the LNJP Hospital, another dedicated facility, only seven such beds were available out of 200 at 12:30 pm.

Seven of 71 ICU beds with ventilators were available at AIIMS Trauma Centre, at the Safdarjung hospital, seven such beds were available out of 65, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital has eight such beds available out of 45 and RML Hospital has only two ICU beds with ventilators available out of 28, as per the data.

At other Delhi government facilities such as the BSA Hospital, nine beds were free out of 12 and at the SGMH hospital, four beds were free out of six, the data showed. There was no vacancy at the DDU hospital.

The non-COVID-19 ICU beds were also getting occupied at many hospitals in Delhi and their count is shrinking at other facilities too.

The national capital has witnessed a spurt in coronavirus cases since October 28, when the daily rise breached the 5,000-mark for the first time, and it crossed the 8,000-mark on November 11.

Delhi recorded 7,486 fresh COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, taking the city's infection tally to over five lakh, even as 133 more fatalities, the highest single-day death count till date, pushed the toll to 7,943, authorities said.

These fresh cases came out of the 62,232 tests conducted the previous day, while the positivity rate stood at 12.03 per cent amid festive season and rising pollution in the city, according to Wednesday's bulletin issued by the Delhi health department.

The highest single-day spike till date here -- 8,593 cases -- was recorded on November 11.

The National Centre for Disease Control, in a report drafted recently, had warned that Delhi needed to be prepared for about 15,000 fresh cases of COVID-19 per day, taking into account the upcoming winter season-related respiratory problems, large influx of patients from outside and festive gatherings.