Covid-19: Delhi determines if déjà vu is imminent.

With special wards for Covid-19 patients, beds with ventilator and oxygen support, and medical staff clad in PPE kits, hospitals in the city conducted a drill on managing a coronavirus crisis on Tuesday. The medical staff escorted mock patients for check-ups and based on the severity of their symptoms were taken to the three categories of wards, green, yellow, and red, the last being for those with severe comorbidities such as a heart condition. “We have trained our staff so as to waste no time over managing Covid patients and allocating them to the correct ward,” claimed Dr Suresh Kumar, medical director, Lok Nayak. Deputy CM Manish Sisodia also reviewed the He evaluated the availability of hospital beds, the condition of ICU beds, the availability of medical oxygen, the necessary training of doctors and other medical and paramedical staff, etc. Lok Nayak, the largest government-run hospital in Delhi, has a total of 2,000 beds, of which 450 are reserved for Covid patients. More than 25,000 Covid-infected patients were treated in this hospital during previous outbreaks, as stated by Kumar.Sisodia stated that the availability of medical oxygen at Lok Nayak Hospital had been increased since the previous outbreak. Additionally, five PSA facilities have been installed here. Within five minutes of a patient’s arrival, he or she will be taken to the designated ward and undergo the necessary treatment procedures, according to Sisodia. Speaking about the Delhi government’s preparation for a Covid surge, Sisodia stated that 8,200 beds were reserved in Delhi Government hospitals for Covid, with the capacity to increase the number of beds to 36,000. In addition, he stated that the state government had more than 6,000 oxygen cylinders, oxygen tankers to transport oxygen, and 928 tonnes of medical oxygen storage capacity.For his part, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya visited Safdarjung Hospital, which is run by the central government, to inspect the drill for responding to a Covid wave. Mandaviya stated that the purpose of this exercise was to evaluate the preparedness of our hospitals. “Covid cases are on the rise globally, and India may see an increase in cases as well. Therefore, it is crucial that the entire Covid infrastructure in terms of equipment, processes, and personnel is operationally ready.”BL Sherwal, medical superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital, stated that all symptomatic Covid patients would be screened, assessed, and tested at the Covid centre in the healthcare complex. “The test report will be available within two hours, after which a decision will be made regarding hospitalization or discharge. Until then, the patient will be monitored, and all of our beds are equipped with oxygen,” he said.