Coronavirus Crisis In Delhi: Amit Shah Holds Review Meeting With Arvind Kejriwal

Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a review meeting on Sunday, with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Lt. Governor Anil Baijal and other officials. The Home Minister assured the Delhi Chief Minister of all help from the Centre.

Amit Shah posted a series of tweets observing that the Narendra Modi government is committed to checking the transmission of the coronavirus pandemic in the national capital. The Centre will provide 500 railway coaches to Delhi in view of the serious scarcity of beds for COVID-19 patients in the national capital.

Amit Shah also remarked that a comprehensive door-to-door health survey will be undertaken in the containment zones in Delhi for effective COVID-19 contact tracing. The Home Minister further said that testing in the capital will be doubled in the next few days and will be tripled in six days.

Among those who those who attended the meeting were Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, members of the State Disaster Management Authority and senior officers from the Home and Health ministries. The Union Home Minister is also likely to meet mayors of Delhi's three municipal corporations of North, South and East, as also commissioners of the civic bodies on Sunday evening on the ongoing coronavirus crisis in the national capital.

Amit Shah observed that a committee would be formed to ensure that in the case of treatment of COVID-19 patients in private hospitals treating coronavirus patients in Delhi, 60% of the beds are charged at a low rate. New guidelines will also be issued to ensure that people conducting last rites of the deceased will not have to wait for long periods.

The Centre has assured the Kejriwal government of the availability of key resources, like oxygen cylinders, ventilators, pulse oximeters among other things. The Union Home Minister also stated that a committee of senior AIIMS doctors will be formed to provide accurate information and necessary guidance to smaller hospitals in Delhi. The Home Minister said a helpline number with regard to this will be released tomorrow.

India, as per the update put out on Sunday morning by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, crossed the 3,20,000 mark. The death toll stands at 9192. Maharashtra continues to be the worst-hit state with over 1 lakh cases.