Health minister Satyendar Jain inaugurated a Covid-19 Rapid Response Centre at the Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital on Wednesday as part of the Delhi government’s attempt to prepare for a possible third Covid wave.
The centre, staffed round-the-clock, has been set up to ensure immediate treatment for Covid patients. It is equipped with ICUs and ventilators. The centre aims to provide emergency care for Covid patients without having to wait for hospital admission, the minister said.
More such centres will be set up at different hospitals to make emergency response more efficient. The government is attempting to revamp government hospitals to prepare them for the third wave, Jain said.
“The centre will ensure immediate treatment to patients upon arrival without waiting for admission, and the patient will be shifted later to the concerned ward depending on their condition,” he said.
He also urged people to remain cautious and follow Covid-appropriate behaviour.
“We must not drop our guard even when the cases have come down. We must learn from our experience that any negligence can lead to disaster,” Jain said.
A severe shortage of beds and oxygen supply during the second Covid wave had caused delays in hospital admissions and treatment, with patients having to wait outside hospital gates or shuttle from one hospital to another for treatment.
