Alarming situation in Delhi: Private hospitals run low on ICU beds as COVID-19 cases skyrocket

Since last few weeks, India's national capital Delhi has seen a steady rise in the COVID-19 cases, as many parts in the nation have hinted towards a second wave. Over the last 24 hours, Delhi has reported over 1,800 fresh infections and the number of active cases has crossed 7,000 -- the highest since September.

With a sudden rise in cases, the capital city seems unprepared as some private hospitals have started running out of beds in the Intensive Care Unit for Covid patients. According to the Delhi government's Corona app, four of the five key hospitals in the city have no bed with ventilators available in the Intensive Care Unit.

As per a NDTV report, All eight ICU beds are occupied in the Holy Family hospital in Okhla. Fortis hospital and Max hospital in Shalimar Bagh and the Indian Spinal Injury Centre in Vasant Kunj have no available beds in the ICU either. Only one bed is available in Sir Gangaram Hospital.

However, beds with ventilators are available at the government-run hospitals. Of the 5,765 beds earmarked for Covid patients, 4,301 are vacant. Of the total 785 ICU beds with ventilators, 544 are vacant and 887 of the 1,210 ICU beds without ventilators are available too.

Hospitals are now making preparations to meet a surge.

"We are making appropriate arrangements with rise in cases, the infrastructure is being strengthened," said Dr Sandeep Budhiraja, the Group director of Max Hospitals.

Amid a spike in cases, the government of Delhi has urged people to maintain Covid appropriate behavior to avoid the situation Delhi was in last year when almost all the hospitals had run out of crucial healthcare infrastructure as the infection surged in November.