LG's overruling of COVID-19 order has created major problem for Delhiites: Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said Lt Governor Anil Baijal's order overruling AAP government's decision to reserve state-run and private hospitals for Delhiites has created a major problem and challenge for the residents of the city.

Taking to Twitter, Kejriwal said providing treatment to people coming from all over the country is a big challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He also said the Delhi government will try to make arrangements to provide treatment to all those coming from outside the national capital.

"May be God wants us to serve the people of the whole country. We will try to provide treatment to all," he said.

Earlier in the day, sources said, Baijal overruled the AAP government's order to reserve Delhi government-run and private hospitals in the national capital for Delhiites.

On Sunday, Kejriwal had announced the hospitals run by the Delhi government and private entities will only treat Delhiites during the coronavirus crisis. 

Talking to reporters at the Aam Aadmi Party's office, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia alleged that the BJP was playing "dirty politics" in Delhi and "spreading disaster" in the name of disaster management.

"Yesterday, we decided that Delhi government and private hospitals will be reserved only for people of Delhi for COVID-19 treatment. 

"This was very necessary in view of the COVID disaster and it was a well thought decision so that if cases rise, people in Delhi can get treated," Sisodia told reporters.

He said the chief minister had made the whole plan and the announcement was made after that, but the BJP has "pressured" LG into releasing this order to revoke the decision.

"I want to ask BJP if it is doing politics based on treatment of COVID or you are doing politics in the name of corona.

"If tomorrow, the beds available in Delhi get filled within two days and a person living in Delhi falls sick then what will happen to them, who will be responsible for them," the deputy chief minister said.

"In Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, the BJP is involved in corruption of ventilators and you are not able to handle the situation, and when Delhi government is coming out with plans, you are then doing petty politics over it," he alleged.

The BJP should be thinking about the welfare of people and ensure the decision is taken back, he said.

In his order, the lieutenant governor made it clear that the Supreme Court has invariably held in several successive judgments that 'Right to Health' is an integral part of 'Right to Life' under Article 21 of the Constitution.

The LG said all government, private hospitals and nursing homes and clinics in the national capital have to extend medical facilities to all COVID-19 patients without any discrimination of being resident or non-resident of Delhi.

"In exercise of powers conferred under Section 18(3) of the Disaster Management Act, the undersigned in his capacity as the Chairperson of the DDMA, hereby directs all departments and authorities concerned of NCT of Delhi, to ensure that monitoring / treatment is not denied to any patient on the ground of not being a resident of NCT of Delhi," he said in his order.

On Monday, Delhi recorded 1,007 fresh coronavirus cases on Monday taking the COVID-19 tally in the city to over 29,000-mark, and the death toll due to the disease mounted to 874.

Sixty-two COVID-19 deaths took place in Delhi from May 30 to June 6, and 27 of these fatalities occurred on June 5.