COVID-19: Delhi Police reserves extra hospital beds for its personnel at private hospitals

With more than 100 of its personnel testing positive for COVID-19 so far, the Delhi Police on Wednesday said some hospitals have reserved beds for it for any emergency admissions as many in the force are deployed at "sensitive" locations.

Among those infected, 35 police personnel have recovered from the infection and resumed their duties, officials said.

According to the police, with a rise in coronavirus cases in Delhi, difficulties are being faced in getting 'COVID-19 warriors' in the dedicated government hospitals in the city.

Delhi Police Commissioner S.N.Shrivastava spoke to a few private hospitals and, on his request, they have placed some beds at the disposal of the Delhi Police for emergency admissions since many police personnel are performing duties at sensitive locations including containment zones, COVID hospitals and quarantine facilities, the officials said.

A team led by Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Taj Hassan and Special Commissioner of Police (Women Safety) Nuzhat Hassan is overseeing the admission of police personnel in such new facilities and ensuring that police personnel get adequate relief in critical cases.

The police said that six of their modified police vehicles which serve as ambulances will be used for shifting COVID positive police personnel and their families.

The policemen who tested positive for COVID-19 are currently undergoing treatment at government hospitals such as Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narain Hospital, Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital in Dilshad Garden, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, AIIMS (New Delhi), AIIMS (Jhajjar) and Safdarjung Hospital.

The policemen are also admitted at private hospitals like Max Hospital, Saket, Apollo Hospital, Maa Durga Charitable Trust Hospital, Model Town, Ayurvedic Tibbia College Karol Bagh, Chaudhary Braham Prakash Ayurvedic Hospital in Najafgarh), PGI in Sonipat and ESIC in Sahibabad, the police said.

The total number of coronavirus cases in Delhi has climbed to 7,998 while 106 people have lost their lives.