Delhi: 5 Top luxury hotels converted into extended COVID hospitals- 1000 beds added

New Delhi, May 29 (IANS) To ensure sufficient beds to deal with the increasing coronavirus cases, the Delhi government on Friday directed that five luxury hotels in the city be converted into extended Covid hospitals, attached with five hospitals.

In an order, Health and Family Welfare Secretary Padmini Singla attached Hotel Crown Plaza in Okhla with the Batra Hospital and Research Centre, the Hotel Surya in New Friends Colony with the Indraprastha Apollo hospital, Hotel Siddharth in Rajendra Place with Dr B.L. Kapur Memorial Hospital, Hotel Jivitesh in Pusa Road with the Sir Ganga Ram City Hospital, and Hotel Sheraton in Saket with Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital.

The order said the decision has been taken to augment Covid hospitals facility by 1,000 beds.

"The hotels be requisitioned by the District Magistrate and given to attached hospitals for converting them into extended Covid hospital wherein the medical services shall be provided by the attached identified Covid private hospital," the order said.

It said the attached private hospital should admit Covid-19 positive patients in their extended Covid Hospital as per the patient's medical condition and in case, such patients turn severe at any point of time during their stay in the hotel, "he/she shall be transferred/admitted in the attached private hospital at its scheduled rates."

The attached private hospital is required to provide sufficient manpower (nurses and doctors) as per the norms.

"Further, the attached hospital is also required to provide oxygen supply, either in the form of oxygen concentrator or oxygen cylinder, in the extended Covid Hospital in case a patient requires oxygen support."

The order said the attached hospital should provide all consumables like PPE kits, N-95 Mask, gloves, medicines and equipment like pulse-oximeter, thermometer, oxygen concentrator/cylinder, etc.

"They shall also make necessary arrangements to provide resuscitation services -- equipment, drugs and medical consumables -- in the extended Covid Hospital in case there is a rapid deterioration in the clinical condition of the patient.

"The linked private Hospitals are required to take over full Hotel indicated against their name as requisitioned by the concerned District Magistrate, Delhi Government under the DDMA. The hotel shall provide regular hotel services including rooms housekeeping disinfection and food for the patients etc at the price not greater than Rs 5,000 for five star hotel and Rs 4,000 for four and three star hotel per day per person," it added.

The linked hospital should be paid an amount, not greater than Rs 5,000 per patient per day for their medical services to Covid-19 patients, inclusive of all consumables, services of doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and nursing staff etc as per the norms.

"However, investigation charges, if any, shall be charged by the linked hospital as their scheduled rates and for oxygen support, the linked hospital is allowed to charge at the hotel at Rs 2,000 per bed per day basis."

The medical services provided by the attached hospital at their facility will be charged at their respective scheduled rates, the order said.

All charges shall be collected by the linked hospital, which make payment to the hotel,it said.

Further, the linked hospital may accommodate their doctors and staff at the hotel at their own expense, if required, the order added.