Ambulance response time was reduced during COVID time last year: Jain

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Saturday the city government's healthcare system performed ''no less than'' that at private facilities in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

Addressing an event held on the premises of the Delhi Assembly here to felicitate 'corona warriors' from Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital and Baba Saheb Ambedkar Medical College, he lauded their efforts during the height of the pandemic last year.

Jain said he was proud that the ''Delhi government's healthcare system was no less than that of a private healthcare system in fighting the pandemic''.

The minister asserted that the ambulance response time was ''reduced and it was ensured that it reached the patients' home within 15 minutes of the call''.

Also, setting up holding areas in hospitals, facilitated the admission of patients within 10 minutes.

He applauded the corona warriors and said it's time to get goodwill by the virtue of providing service to the people.

On the availability of beds, Jain said, ''We have now declared Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital as a non-Covid hospital, because even at our dedicated Covid hospitals, the number of Covid-19 patients is very less, and beds are available in ample number.'' The hospital at Burari has 300 beds for Covid-19 patients, which has only 10-12 patients now, LNJP Hospital has 300 dedicated beds for COVID-19 patients, whereas the number of patients is only 20. Similarly, at Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital, 500 beds have been dedicated to such positive patients, however, the number of admissions is only 10-11, he added.

Meanwhile, Delhi on Saturday recorded 419 new COVID-19 cases, crossing the 400-mark for the third consecutive day, while the positivity rate stood at 0.56 per cent, according to data shared by the health department.

Interacting with reporters, Jain had said on Friday the figures of over 400 per day suddenly were ''not alarming'', and asserted that the positivity rate was still below one per cent.

The city recorded 419 fresh cases on Saturday, while the death toll climbed to 10,939 with three more fatalities, as per the latest bulletin issued by the Delhi Health Department.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)