A day after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's big announcement about reserving Delhi government hospitals and some private hospitals for Delhi residents only, the national capital's Health Minister Satyendra Jain defended the decision.
After Kejriwal's briefing on Sunday, 7 June, the AAP government faced a lot of criticism on social media platforms, with many questioning the legality of this decision.
"So, the people of Delhi need space for treatment. Besides, neighbouring states say they do not even have coronavirus cases," said Jain, defending the move.
"If they are not even saying they have virus cases then what is the issue?" he added.
He also predicted that considering Delhi’s doubling rate at 15 days, the city will see around 56,000 cases in two weeks.
"We now have up to 9,000 beds but our goal is to have 15,000 to 17,000 beds in the next 15 days," said the health minister.
Arvind Kejriwal also said on Sunday that the borders of the national capital will open from Monday, a week after he announced that they would be sealed.
“By the end of the month of June, Delhi would need 15,000 beds... Over 90 percent people want Delhi hospitals to treat patients from the national capital during coronavirus pandemic... Delhi hospitals will be available for the people of Delhi only, while Central hospitals will remain open for all... If people from other cities come to Delhi for specific surgeries, they will be treated at private hospitals,” Kejriwal was quoted as saying during a press briefing.
Private hospitals will be reserved for Delhi residents, except those where special surgeries, like neurosurgery, are performed, he said, according to news agency ANI.
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On the opening up of the capital under Unlock 1, Kejriwal said all restaurants, malls and places of worship will open in the national capital from Monday. However, hotels and banquet halls will remain closed as there might be a need to convert them into hospitals in the near future.
“As a precautionary measure, the elderly people should have minimum interaction with their family members and others, especially children, as senior citizens are the most vulnerable to COVID-19. Try and remain in a single room of your house.”Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, as quoted by ANI
The national capital has recorded over 27,000 coronavirus cases so far, including 761 deaths. The last few days have seen a daily rise of over 1,000 cases, with controversy also springing up about the availability of beds in hospitals.
Opposition Against Kejriwal's Announcement
Arvind Kejriwal's decision to reserve Delhi government hospitals for Delhi residents only, has drawn strong criticism from both the BJP and Congress.
Congress leader Ajay Maken said, "Delhi government is only busy in image-making, has made no plans and preparations to counter COVID-19", PTI reported.
Meanwhile, BJP has demonstrated a protest to raise their concerns about AAP's announcement. BJP's Delhi Chief Adesh Kumar Gupta along with other party leaders were detained during the protest.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI.)
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