Coronavirus crisis: Delhi will need 60,000 new beds in 52 days

The Delhi government might need to arrange at least 60,000 beds for coronavirus patients in the next 52 days, starting from June 10, as per the analysis based on recent statements made by Delhi CM and Deputy CM.

In recent days, the national capital has witnessed an exponential rise in the COVID-19 cases tally. Between June 1 and June 9, Delhi registered around 10,000 COVID cases. Overall, Delhi has breached 30,000-mark in a number of coronavirus cases. According to Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, the doubling rate in the capital is 12.6 days.

Sisodia, in his Tuesday's press conference, stated that mathematical models of the progression of COVID-19 showed there would around 5.5 lakh cases by the end of July in Delhi.

By this, Sisodia projected that the state government will have to arrange  80,000 beds to handle these cases.

Sisodia's estimates had come two days after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's virtual press conference, in which he said there were about 20,000 beds available in Delhi at present.

Kejriwal added that 10,000 beds were available in Delhi government hospitals and another 10,000 at hospitals run by the central government in the capital.

As a result, in just a span of 52 days, the Delhi government will need to arrange at 60,000 beds if the trend in coronavirus cases tally remains the same in Delhi in the upcoming days.

Yesterday, Sisodia also said the national capital may record 44,000 COVID-19 cases by June 15 and it would need 6,600 beds in hospitals.

"By June 30, there will be one lakh cases of coronavirus in Delhi and we will need 15,000 beds," Sisodia added.

"It is estimated that Delhi will record 2.15 lakh cases by July 15 and 33,000 beds would be required. There might be 5.5 lakh cases by July 31 and Delhi would need 80,000 beds," he said.

If Sisodia's algorithm on COVID patients and the number of beds turns out to be true, it could be a worrisome factor for the Delhi government. The additional beds are not the only challenge the Delhi government facing. The city also requires an army of health workers to be able to provide treatment to the new patients.

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