AAP govt cancels leave of Delhi hospitals staff

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) The Delhi government yesterday cancelled the leave of all employees including doctors and support staff of hospitals under its health department amid a rise in coronavirus infections in the national capital.
Special Secretary S M Ali said leave of any kind will only be granted under the most compelling circumstances.
The city is under immense pressure to improve its health infrastructure as the government expects coronavirus cases to climb up to 550,000 by the end of July.
Currently, the national capital has more than 50,000 Covid-19 cases, third highest cases in the country after Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, while over 2,000 people have succumbed to the dreaded virus so far.
Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has said all Covid-19 patients in the national capital must be quarantined for at least five days at government-run facilities before being allowed to self-isolate at home.
The move has been criticised by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's government.
The Aam Aadmi Party government has pointed to a shortage of doctors, nurses and space to set up huge quarantine facilities. 
The latest order to cancel their leave could be in anticipation of more people going for institutional quarantine.
AAP legislator Atishi, who tested positive for coronavirus and is self-isolating at home with mild symptoms, said being able to stay with her family was helping her recover faster.
'Centre's decision of making 5-day institutional quarantine compulsory for #COVID19 patients in Delhi is wrong. I am a coronavirus patient and recovering at home. Due to this five-day institutional quarantine, people will now refrain from getting tested, she said in a tweet.
Her colleague Raghav Chadha said Delhi would need 15,000 beds by June 30, but after Baijal's order, the city will need 90,000 by month's end. 
'From where will we get these beds? Chadha asked.
'I am already getting calls from the people of my constituency that they won't get themselves tested for fear of being whisked away to quarantine centres, NDTV network quoted Chadha, who represents Rajinder Nagar in north Delhi, as saying.
In other developments, the Delhi government said that beds for Covid-19 patients in private hospitals will be subsidised.
'100% Covid beds in private hospitals shall be subsidised up to upper limit of 60% of total hospital capacity, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said in a tweet.
Sisodia added that under the leadership of Kejriwal, 'people will never have any problem.
Meanwhile, the Congress party accused the AAP government of delaying works of three hospitals that could have added 2,609 beds and saved many lives.
Delhi Congress chief Chaudhary Anil Kumar visited the 600-bed Baba Ambedkar Hospital in Dakshin Puri, the 1,725-bed Indira Gandhi Hospital in Dwarka and another hospital in Burari that are almost ready but not being used by the Delhi government.
After the visit, Kumar said the Ambedkar Nagar Hospital was almost ready for the inauguration, while 90% works had been completed at the Indira Gandhi Hospital.
The Delhi government could have easily completed the remaining works in the past three months to address the Covid-19 bed shortage, he said.
Kumar said the party had written twice to the city government and also raised the issue during the all-party meetings with Baijal and federal Home Minister Amit Shah.

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