Delhi govt directs 3 private hospitals to create isolation rooms for monkeypox

New Delhi: The Delhi government on Tuesday directed three private hospitals to create 30 isolation rooms for monkeypox cases.

In a notification from the Delhi Directorate General Health Services, each of the three private hospitals -- Kailash Deepak Hospital, MD city hospital and Batra hospital and Research Centre -- have been asked to create 10 isolation rooms each, five for the management of suspected monkeypox cases and five for confirmed cases.

Meanwhile, Delhi's first monkeypox patient was discharged on Monday from the LNJP hospital after recovering from the infection.

However, one more suspected monkeypox case was admitted to the hospital on Monday night. Presently, LNJP hospital which is the nodal hospital for monkeypox treatment, has a total of three cases, which include two suspected and one confirmed patient.

On Tuesday, while replying in the Rajya Sabha on the steps taken by the government to create awareness, Union Health Minister Mandaviya said that the government has set up a task force and steps are also being taken to increase awareness about the disease.

He urged the citizens not to panic as the central government has been working in coordination with the state governments to control the spread of the virus.