DRDO to develop 1,000 bed COVID-care centre in Delhi in next 10 days

The Defence Research Development Organization (DRDO) will develop a 1,000 bed full-fledged hospital in the national capital. The COVID-care Centre will be ready in the next 10 days, informed Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday.

Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter Shah informed that DRDO in collaboration with Tata Trusts will build a hospital facility with 250 ICU beds. "I would also like to inform the people of Delhi that a 1,000-bed full-fledged hospital with 250 ICU beds is being developed for COVID patients. DRDO and Tata Trusts are building the facility. Armed forces personnel will man it. This COVID Care centre will be ready in the next 10 days," The Union Home Minister tweeted.

Read: Kejriwal thanks Amit Shah after HM assures work on Delhi COVID Care Centre in 'full swing'

COVID-19 in Delhi

COVID cases in the national capital stand at 66,602. Of the total number, active cases stand at 24,988 and those who have recovered are 39,313. The death toll in the national capital stands at 2,301. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia earlier this month had predicted that Delhi will report over 5,00,000 COVID cases by July end. He also mentioned that the national capital does not have enough beds to treat these many COVID patients. Sisodia had said that the national capital would need around 1,00,000 beds to treat COVID positive cases. Notably, several community halls, religious places banquet halls, and hotels are being turned into COVID facilities to treat patients.

Read: 'Sort of window shopping': Delhi Health Min rejects app-hospital Covid bed number mismatch

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal himself went on to recce several locations to be turned into COVID facility. The Taj Mansingh hotel in the national capital is one such example. The hotel under the guidance of Sri Gangaram hospital will be turned into a COVID facility. Notably, Delhi recorded the biggest single-day spike of 3,947 fresh Covid-19 cases, taking the tally to over 66K; death toll rises to 2,301.

India's coronavirus caseload stands at 4,40,215, as per the latest health ministry update. The death toll stands at 14,011. 312 deaths and highest single-day spike of 14,933 new cases reported in the last 24 hrs. However, the Centre on Tuesday had asserted that India has reported one death from the disease per lakh population. The health ministry also underlined that India's mortality rate is among the lowest as against the global average. 

Read: Private hospitals in Delhi ask for manpower, time for augmenting COVID beds

Read: Amit Shah replies to Delhi CM’s request on COVID facility, says ‘MHA has assigned ITBP’