Delhi govt tells hospitals to extend tenure of doctors as staff shortage surges amid COVID

The Delhi government has directed all state-run hospitals to extend the term of senior resident and junior resident doctors, who are going to complete their tenures, by six months to meet the shortage of doctors in view of the spike in coronavirus cases.

"The hospitals can also recruit senior resident and junior resident doctors against the sanctioned vacant posts from those candidates who have already completed their residency tenure as per the central government''s residency scheme in case of non-availability of fresh candidates," the health department said in an order.  

"To meet the shortage of resident doctors during the COVID-19 epidemic, all medical superintendents, medical directors, deans and directors of the hospitals under the health department are directed to extend the tenure of presently working junior and senior resident doctors, whose tenure of three years and one year respectively is going to complete soon, for a period of six months," it said.

According to the Delhi government estimates, there could be 5.5 lakh cases by the end of July and hospitals will need at least 80,000 more beds for COVID patients.

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Entire City To Be Screened By July 6

The AAP government on Wednesday, June 23, prepared a 'Revised COVID Response Plan' which envisages the completion of house-to-house screening in Delhi by July 6. This plan, based on the recommendations of the Dr.VK Paul Committee, assumes significance at a juncture when Delhi is witnessing a record spike in the number of COVID-19 cases. The plan also aims at strengthening surveillance at the district level, review, and improvement of containment zone strategy, strengthening contact tracing, enhanced use of the Aarogya Setu app, and conducting a serological survey. 

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Delhi surpasses Mumbai in COVID-19 tally

With 3,788 fresh cases, Delhi's coronavirus tally rose to over 70,000 on Wednesday, surpassing Mumbai to become the worst hit city in the country, even as authorities prepared to conduct a house-to-house screening by July 6 as part of a revised containment strategy in the national capital.

With 64 fresh fatalities, the death toll has climbed to 2,635. Delhi has reported the highest number of cases and deaths after Maharashtra. The total number of coronavirus cases stood at 70,390 in the national capital. Of the four metropolitan cities, Delhi now has the highest number of cases. The coronavirus cases in Mumbai stood at 69,625 and the death toll at 3,962. Chennai has recorded, 45,814 cases so far, while Kolkata had 4,896 cases until Tuesday.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also requested the Centre to withdraw the new system requiring assessment of every COVID-19 patient at a government-run facility, an issue on which the Lieutenant Governor and the AAP government have been having disagreement. Kejriwal said if the administration and police forcibly take patients to COVID care centres for their clinical assessment, it will be like holding them in detention for 15 days.

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(with PTI inputs)