Delhi's 5-star Taj Mansingh to be used as COVID facility; attached to Ganga Ram Hospital

Amid Coronavirus cases increasing at an alarming rate in the national capital, the Delhi government is converting the five-star Taj Mansingh into COVID-19 facility. According to an order issued by the Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Chanakyapuri, rooms in the luxury Taj Mansingh Hotel in Lutyens' Delhi will be placed at the disposal of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH) for using it as an attached COVID-19 facility. This comes as the Delhi government is preparing to fulfill the requirement of 1.5 lakh beds in healthcare facilities in Delhi by July end. 

On May 29, the Health Department ordered attaching five hotels -- Hotel Crowne Plaza, Hotel Surya, Hotel Sidhartha, Hotel Jivitesh and Hotel Sheraton - to hospitals as attached dedicated COVID-19 facilities. The May 29 order also fixed a tariff for the same – Rs 5,000 for five-star hotels and Rs 4,000 for four-star hotels. 

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia on Tuesday visited the Surya Hotel in New Friends Colony in southeast Delhi, another dedicated COVID-19 facility that has been attached to the Holy Family Hospital, to review the arrangements. Following the inspection, Kejriwal said the Surya Hotel will become operational with 120 beds in the next 2-3 days in the first phase and the facility will gradually be ramped up to 250-300 beds."There is a requisition of 30-35 hotels in Delhi with a total bed capacity of 3,000-3,500 beds,” Kejriwal said.

"Another 500 more such isolation coaches for COVID-19 patients have to be deployed in Delhi and we are finalising the stations where they can be kept," Railway Board Chairman V K Yadav had said on June 15. According to the Delhi Corona app, out of 10,630 beds available in the city, 5,631 were occupied until 8.50 pm on Tuesday, while 4,999 beds were vacant.

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With 1,859 fresh infections, the total number of coronavirus cases in Delhi rose to 44,688 on Tuesday. Ninety-three deaths were also reported taking the death toll to 1,837.

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Amit Shah visits LNJP Hospital, held meeting with L-G, CM

Adding on to the list of measures taken by the Home Ministry to tackle the alarming Covid-19 situation in the national capital, Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday instructed the Delhi government to install CCTV cameras in Coronavirus wards of hospitals. Soon after, the Delhi government directed its Public Works Department to install the CCTV cameras for 'efficient monitoring and supervision of patient care' in all hospitals. 

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Stepping into the handling of COVID-19 situation in the national capital after lapses were flagged in various media reports, Amit Shah has announced a series of measures and has directed the Arvind Kejriwal-led government to take immediate steps. This came days after the Supreme Court had pulled up Delhi, government for its 'horrendous, horrific and pathetic' handling of Coronavirus pandemic. 

On Monday, Home Minister Shah met with the officials of Delhi's nodal hospital Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) to review their preparedness in dealing with the COVID pandemic. Shah interacted with the hospital staff and doctors and also held a discussion with senior doctors in the conference room over the growth rate of cases, death tolls, and admission of patients from outside of Delhi.

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