The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) along with Tata Sons has developed a 1,000 bed hospital with 250 ICU beds in a record time of 11 days in New Delhi, for treating Coronavirus (COVID-19) patients.
Named as ‘Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel COVID-19 Hospital’, the different wards of the hospital are named after the martyred Indian Army troops who lost their lives during the India-China clash of 2020 in Galwan Valley of Ladakh.
Based at Air force Land near the Airport, the hospital will be operated by Armed Forces Medical Services. The ICU and Ventilator Ward has been named after Colonel Bikkumalla Santosh Babu, the first Indian Armed Forces Commissioned Officer who was martyred during India-China clash of 2020.
The Home Minister of India – Amit Shah, Defence Minister of India – Rajnath Singh, Minister of Health & Family Welfare – Dr. Harsh Vardhan and the Chief Minister of Delhi – Arvind Kejriwal also visited the hospital today, i.e., Sunday, July 5, 2020.
Speaking on the occasion, Amit Shah said, “Visited the 1,000 bed Sardar Patel Covid Hospital, which has 250 ICU beds, along with @rajnathsingh ji. DRDO built it in record time of 12 days with assistance from MHA, MOHFW, Armed Forces and Tata Trust. Armed Forces Medical Services team will run it and DRDO will maintain.”
PM @narendramodi ji is fully committed to helping the people of Delhi in these challenging times and this Covid hospital, yet again, highlights the resolve.
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) July 5, 2020
I thank DRDO, Tatas and our Armed Forces Medical personnel who have risen to the occasion and helped tackle the emergency. pic.twitter.com/O7TqmK81qG
Highlighting the fact that Prime Minister of India – Narendra Modi is committed to helping Delhiites, he tweeted, “PM @narendramodi ji is fully committed to helping the people of Delhi in these challenging times and this Covid hospital, yet again, highlights the resolve. I thank DRDO, Tatas and our Armed Forces Medical personnel who have risen to the occasion and helped tackle the emergency.”
PM @narendramodi ji is fully committed to helping the people of Delhi in these challenging times and this Covid hospital, yet again, highlights the resolve.
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) July 5, 2020
I thank DRDO, Tatas and our Armed Forces Medical personnel who have risen to the occasion and helped tackle the emergency. pic.twitter.com/O7TqmK81qG
Sharing his thoughts, Rajnath Singh tweeted, “Visited newly created, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel COVID Hospital in New Delhi today along with HM Shri @AmitShah, Delhi CM Shri @ArvindKejriwal
& Health Minister @drharshvardhan. This facility has been created by @DRDO_India in collaboration with MHA & Tata Sons in a record time.”
Visited newly created, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel COVID Hospital in New Delhi today along with HM Shri @AmitShah, Delhi CM Shri @ArvindKejriwal & Health Minister @drharshvardhan. This facility has been created by @DRDO_India in collaboration with MHA & Tata Sons in a record time. pic.twitter.com/c9n4VyFji2
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) July 5, 2020
Congratulating the Armed forces, Rajnath Singh tweeted, “This 1000 bed COVID hospital with 250 ICU beds is to be operated by the Armed Forces Medical Services. I congratulate all the agencies working tirelessly towards making this Hospital a wonderful example in enhancing our preparedness against the menace of COVID-19.”
This 1000 bed COVID hospital with 250 ICU beds is to be operated by the Armed Forces Medical Services. I congratulate all the agencies working tirelessly towards making this Hospital a wonderful example in enhancing our preparedness against the menace of COVID-19.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) July 5, 2020
Thanking the DRDO, Dr. Harsh Vardhan tweeted, “सरहद ही नहीं, स्वास्थ्य की भी चिंता! इस अस्पताल का निर्माण रिकॉर्ड समय में @DRDO_India ने @HMOIndia व #TataSons के सहयोग से किया है। #COVID19 के खिलाफ ज़ंग में सभी एजेंसियों के अथक प्रयास और परिश्रम को मैं नमन् करता हूं। @PMOIndia @MoHFW_INDIA
@DefenceMinIndia @adgpi #COVID19.”
The CM Kejriwal tweeted, “DRDO का 1000 बेड का करोना अस्पताल बनकर तैयार हो गया। दिल्ली वालों की ओर से केंद्र सरकार का शुक्रिया। इसमें 250 बेड ICU के हैं। इसकी दिल्ली में इस वक्त बहुत ज़रूरत है।“
He also said that now there is no scarcity of hospital beds. Delhi has over 15,000 beds, out of which 5,300 are occupied. However, there is a paucity of ICU beds. If there is any spike in coronavirus cases, the ICU beds of this new hospital will be very critical.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s biggest COVID-19 care centre has been erected at the premises of the Radha Soami Satsang Beas in Chhatarpur area, located near the Delhi-Haryana border. It has a capacity of admitting 10,000 COVID-19 patients. More than 2,000 Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and other Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel, including doctors, are managing operations at the hospital.
In other developments, India reported another highest single day spike of 24,850 cases and 613 casualties. India has more than 6,73,165 cases and 19,268 casualties.
Maharashtra, the worst hit State, reported 6,555 fresh cases and 151 casualties today. The State has crossed the 2-lakh mark and now has 2,06,609 cases and 8822 casualties. Tamil Nadu, the second most affected State, recorded 4,150 fresh cases and 60 casualties. There are 1,11,151 cases in the State and there have been 1,510 casualties. With 2,244 fresh cases and 63 casualties, Delhi stands as third most affected place with more than 99,444 cases and 3,067 casualties.
Besides, the Ministry of Science and Technology has said COVID-19 vaccine before 2021 is very unlikely. This comes after the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) asked hospitals to fast track the human trials of Bharat Biocon’s COVAXIN so that it can be launched by August 15, 2020.
