Mixing corona patients with others risky: Doctors

New Delhi: As Delhi government has directed private hospitals and nursing homes to reserve 20 per cent of their total bed strength for coronavirus patients, doctors have warned that mixing Covid-19 patients in hospitals treating people with other ailments might lead to a further spread of the virus.

Strongly objecting to this order, the private hospitals and doctors will be writing to the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government to review its decision.

Kejriwal, while addressing a digital briefing on Monday had said, "Government and private hospitals in Delhi have 4,500 beds for Covid-19 patients and out of these, only 2,000 are occupied." He added that around 2,000 new beds have already been added in 117 private hospitals for Covid-19 patients.

Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Sunday had said the Delhi government has directed private hospitals and nursing homes with a capacity of 50 beds or more to reserve 20 per cent of their total bed strength for coronavirus patients.

Reacting on government's directive, Dr Girish Tyagi, president of Delhi Medical Association, said that the bigger challenge would be for the small hospitals as they do not have enough space, handling both Covid-19 and non-Covid patients at the same time would become difficult and risky to all.

"The bigger hospitals that have several blocks can manage to dedicate these beds. However, the challenge will be for smaller ones as they might not have enough space or separate entry and exits to ensure Covid-19 and non-Covid patients are segregated properly.

This might lead to a spread of the infection within the hospitals," Hindustan Times quoted Dr Tyagi as saying.

Citing the examples of Italy and Spain, the countries which handled both Covid-19 and non-Covid patients together, Dr PK Bharadwaj, secretary.