Covid mock drill: Health Minister at Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital to review prep exercise

As Covid mock drills began in hospitals across the country, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya visited Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital to review the exercise.

The minister was seen interacting with doctors and other officials amid a push to prepare healthcare personnel to deal with a possible spike in Covid cases, amid a surge in China and some other countries.

The minister visited the 44-bedded Covid centre at the hospital, the triage and testing area which has been created by the hospital along with a Severe Acute Respiratory Infection ward in the makeshift facility which already existed. The health minister also interacted with the hospital officials and instructed them to be prepared for any fresh outbreak.

Dr B L Sherwal, the Medical Superintendent of the Safdarjung Hospital, said, "All symptomatic patients shall be screened, assessed and tested right there in the Covid centre.The report shall be made available within one to two hours following which the decision on admission or discharge shall be taken. Till that time the patient can be monitored. All beds have oxygen facilities." Dr Neeraj Gupta, a professor in the Department of Pulmonary, Critical care and Sleep medicine at Safdarjung Hospital, said of the 44 beds, six beds are equipped with a ventilator with monitors.

Besides there is also an 18-bedded dedicated Covid ICU, he said.

"Apart from that there are 81 beds available for Covid treatment. If need be, we can make more available," Dr Gupta said.

Four international travellers from Myanmar, who tested positive for Covid at the Delhi airport, are admitted at the Safdarjung Hospital and their samples have been sent for genome sequencing "They were asymptomatic. They will be discharged once they test negative," Dr Sherwal informed.

(with PTI inputs)

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