Largely vacant, Delhi winds down its Covid-19 care centres

Amid declining new Covid-19 cases in the national capital, the Delhi government plans to close down its Covid care centres and health centres in a phased manner, with officials noting that the decision was taken considering there were no new admissions in these centres for over 20 days.

A senior health department official said the Covid care centres and health centres will be closed in a phased manner by mid-April, noting that there have been no admissions in these centres since March 12.

“In some centres, the process of closure has already begun. In some centres, we have already started the process of reducing the number of beds. By April 15, these Covid health centres and care centres will be closed down, because we have reached a stage where we no longer need the additional beds,” said the official.

Delhi added 82 Covid-19 cases and one death on Monday.

Earlier, in the first week of March, the government shut down two 500-bed Covid care centres (CCC) — at two Ramlila maidans near Delhi Gate and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital — which, among others, catered to hundreds of international passengers arriving in Delhi during the Omicron-fuelled wave in the city.

“The number of Covid-19 hospitalisations in the city is at its lowest. We currently have four patients admitted in our hospital and the condition of all of these patients is stable. Last week, the admissions had come down to zero,” said Dr Suresh Kumar, medical director of Lok Nayak hospital, the largest Covid facility in the Capital.

Delhi government data shows that on March 1, the Covid care centres only had five patients. It reduced to four on March 3, two on march 5, before falling to zero on March 12.

Currently, the government has 875 beds at Covid care centres and 136 beds in Covid health centres.

“These centres were created to support our hospital infrastructure during peak Covid waves. During the Omicron wave, the infection was milder and the number of hospitalisations was also generally lower so we did not see a surge in admissions at Covid care and health centres either,” said another official of the health department.