Mock drill underway at Delhi hospitals to check Covid preparedness

New Delhi, Apr 11 (PTI) A mock drill is underway at various Delhi hospitals to check COVID-19 preparedness amid a surge in cases of the viral disease in the national capital.

Delhi reported 699 Covid cases and four deaths due to the infection on Sunday, and 484 cases with a positivity rate of 26.58 per cent and three fatalities on Monday.

Officials had earlier said a nationwide mock drill to take stock of the hospitals’ preparedness to tackle the surge of Covid cases will be carried out on April 10 and 11, in which both public and private facilities are expected to participate.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya visited the Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital here on Monday to review the measures taken to combat the disease.

At the Delhi government-run hospitals, the exercise is being undertaken on Tuesday.

“The exercise is underway at our hospital. This will test our Covid preparedness, including the availability of beds, oxygen and other healthcare logistics requirements to deal with any eventuality in view of a rising number of COVID-19 and influenza-type cases,” a senior doctor at the Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital told PTI.

The hospital has 325 beds and according to instructions issued by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal recently, an isolation room with a set of beds has been set up at the facility, he said.

The exercise will take about two-three hours, the doctor added.

The mock drill began in the morning at the Apollo hospital too.

The Delhi government-run hospitals had taken part in a mock drill on March 26 as well. This was on the instructions of the city health department.

By 11 am, the mock drill was underway at some of the other Delhi government hospitals too.

“We are conducting the mock drill. All Covid preparedness parameters are being assessed,” a senior doctor at another hospital said.

He said though the hospital is not a Covid facility, instructions have been issued to ensure that all logistics measures and health infrastructure are ready to deal with any eventuality.

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Monday said a report on the March 26 mock drill was submitted to the chief minister and other authorities.

Delhi has seen an increase in the number of fresh Covid cases over the last few days amid a sharp rise in H3N2 influenza cases in the country.

Of the four deaths reported on Sunday, three people died due to various diseases and Covid was only “incidental” in these cases, while in one case, the primary cause was Covid, Bharadwaj told reporters on Monday.

Suresh Kumar, the medical director of the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital, said more cases will get reported, but there is no need to panic.

The mock drill will also be conducted at the 2,000-bed hospital, the largest such facility run by the Delhi government, Kumar had said on Monday.

Delhi recorded 535 Covid cases on Saturday with a positivity rate of 23.05 per cent.

The city logged 733 Covid cases — the highest in more than seven months — with a positivity rate of 19.93 per cent on Friday.

The national capital had recorded 620 cases of the infection on August 26.

On April 5, Delhi logged 509 Covid cases with a positivity rate of 26.54 per cent, the highest in nearly 15 months. In January last year, the positivity rate had touched the 30-per cent mark.

The Delhi government is keeping an eye on the spurt in Covid cases and is “prepared to face any eventuality”, Kejriwal said last week.

Following the Centre’s directions, a mock drill was held at Delhi hospitals in December last year to check their readiness for Covid management.