Sardar Patel COVID care centre to close amid Delhi's falling cases after final recoveries

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed authorities to shut down two of the biggest COVID care centres in the national capital - the Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel COVID hospital in Delhi Cantonment and Sardar Patel COVID Care Centre operational in Chhattarpur - in view of a steady decline in COVID-19 cases and a progressive report in the pandemic situation in the national capital. The facilities are all set to close next week. 

Orders to close Sardar Patel Covid Care Centre 

Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Director-General SS Deswal briefed that the temporary Covid care facilities are not required as the city hospitals have sufficient facilities to fulfill the requirements in the current covid-19 situation in Delhi. He informed, "Since the last two months, there were hardly any patients. We had apprised the situation at the appropriate level and it has been decided that the centre will get closed soon. Currently, there are 60 patients in the Sardar Patel COVID-19 Care Centre and Hospital and once they are discharged, we will close the centre." 

Deswal added, "Our team of doctors along with (doctors) from other forces helped in running the centre. It was a nice experience to serve people. The best part was that treatment was given without charging a single penny. By next week it will be closed. We have to treat all patients first and later it will get closed, though we can start immediately if required as we have gained experience. No new patients will be admitted. The city’s hospitals are equipped to handle the current numbers."

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Earlier this month, a review meeting was held among the senior health officials including Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, ITBP, DRDO and others to take a decision on the run of these facilities. Delhi Cantonment's Sardar Patel COVID hospital, which is managed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and South Sardar Patel Covid Care Centre Chhattarpur (South Delhi), which is managed by Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), will be closed by next week after the patients admitted are discharged. This decision has also been taken because there were several Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) working in the ITBP, they can now move to their respective locations.

Biggest Covid-19 care hospital

The Chhatrapur centre of the Sardar Patel Covid Care hospital is the largest Covid care facility across the country which includes over 10,000 beds. This centre has treated around 12,000 patients so far and currently, there is no critical patient admitted here. The facility was provided in June last year in the campus of the Radha Soami Beas. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police placed its best doctors to treat the Covid-19 patients at the time of the pandemic. Ministry of Home Affairs established the two centres in Delhi to provide fully functional and Covid care centre to the patients. 

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(With ANI inputs)