Shah visits LNJP; orders CCTV in COVID-19 wards of all designated hospitals

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday directed the Delhi chief secretary to install CCTV cameras in COVID-19 wards of every designated hospital in the national capital for proper monitoring, and set up alternative canteens for uninterrupted supply of food to patients.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday directed the Delhi chief secretary to install CCTV cameras in COVID-19 wards of every designated hospital in the national capital for proper monitoring, and set up alternative canteens for uninterrupted supply of food to patients. Shah also said under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decisive leadership, India is resolutely and collectively fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic and the central government will leave no stone unturned to "help our people in need".

After paying a surprise visit to the Lok Nayak Jay Prakash Narayan (LNJP) hospital here to review arrangements related to COVID-19, Shah also suggested psychosocial counselling of doctors and nurses engaged in the service of humanity through the fight against coronavirus. The LNJP is a Delhi government hospital and has been declared as a dedicated coronavirus facility. The home minister directed the Delhi chief secretary to install CCTV cameras in COVID-19 wards of every coronavirus-designated hospital, so that there is proper monitoring and problems of patients can be resolved, a home ministry statement said.

Shah also directed the chief secretary to establish alternative canteens so that in case there is an infection in one canteen, patients continue to get food without disruption. The home minister met senior doctors in the conference room of the hospital who briefed him about the number of patients treated at the facility, deaths there and admissions process among others, officials said. He also asked about the recovery rate and other details, they said.

The home minister's surprise visit came after marathon meetings with Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, mayors and commissioners of three municipal corporations and opposition leaders of the national capital over the past two days. He swung into action after criticism in different quarters of the Delhi government's handling of the COVID-19 situation, with complaints about non-availability of beds in hospitals for patients and difficulty in getting tests done in laboratories.

The home minister has been leading from the front after taking charge of Delhi's fight against coronavirus. On Sunday, he held two high-level meetings with the LG, the chief minister, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, mayors and commissioners of Delhi's three municipal corporations to strengthen the strategy to fight the pandemic.

He announced on Sunday that COVID-19 testing will be doubled in Delhi in two days, and subsequently increased by three times. After his meeting with Baijal and Kejriwal, Shah said COVID-19 testing will be started at every polling station in containment zones and a comprehensive house-to-house health survey will be conducted in hotspots for contact-tracing. In view of shortage of beds for coronavirus patients in Delhi, the Modi government has decided to immediately provide 500 railway coaches which will be equipped with all facilities, he had said.

Shah said a committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of V K Paul, Member NITI Aayog, to ensure the availability of 60 per cent beds by private hospitals at lower rates and fix the rate of coronavirus testing and treatment. Over 41,000 people have been infected by the coronavirus in Delhi and it has claimed more than 1,300 lives so far. The number of coronavirus cases in Delhi is the third highest in the country, only behind Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.