Delhi fast heading towards becoming Corona Capital; private hospitals to conduct tests: HC

Amid the growing number of COVID-19 cases in the national capital, a Delhi High Court bench comprising Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad observed that Delhi is fast heading towards becoming the 'Corona Capital' of the country. Hearing a petition raising concerns about the rate and status of COVID-19 testing, the bench ordered private hospitals that have reserved 20% beds for admitting COVID-19 patients and have ICMR-accredited labs to start conducting novel coronavirus tests on symptomatic or asymptomatic patients seeking admission in the hospital. It impleaded the ICMR as a party so that the details of private hospitals authorized by it to undertake COVID-19 tests can be provided to the court. 

In the order dated June 11, it is mentioned that in Delhi, there are 17 public labs and 23 private labs having a capacity of conducting 2,900 tests and  5700 tests per day respectively. However, the petitioner alleged that the Delhi government has barred 6 of these aforesaid labs from conducting COVID-19 tests. The Delhi HC, therefore, issued notice to the 23 private labs asking them to file an affidavit as to whether they have been permitted to carry out novel coronavirus tests and if they are facing any difficulties owing to bureaucratic red-tapism. The matter will be heard next on June 18. 

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Paragraph 8 of the Delhi HC order reads, "It appears that Delhi is fast heading towards becoming the Corona Capital of the country, an epithet the city can well do without. We are of the opinion that it is the need of the hour that all the private hospitals in Delhi, who are equipped with a lab to undertake COVID-19 test, be permitted to do the testing, without any further loss of time. This is all the more imperative as the Delhi Government has directed all the private hospitals in Delhi to reserve 20% beds for admitting COVID-19 patients."

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Petitioner demands an increase in testing

As per the HC order, the petitioner demanded an increase in testing citing the AAP government's projection of 5,50,000 COVID-19 cases by July 30. The court lamented that non-COVID patients are not being attended to till they undergo the COVID-19 test. According to the bench, the non-COVID patients could be tested in the authorized lab situated within the premises of the hospital itself rather than having to go somewhere else. On Thursday, Delhi witnessed its highest single-day spike in the growth of COVID-19 cases with 1877 persons testing positive for the novel coronavirus. Currently, there are 34,687 confirmed novel coronavirus cases in Delhi out of which 12,731 patients have been discharged while 1085 casualties have been reported. 

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