COVID-19 crisis: Delhi orders shifting patients to state facilities amid doctors' strike at Hindu Rao Hospital

The Delhi government on Saturday ordered shifting of all COVID-19 patients from civic-run Hindu Rao Hospital to its own facilities, days after the resident doctors went on a "symbolic indefinite strike" over non-payment of their due salaries for the last three months. Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, interacting with reporters, said, as of now 20 patients are at the Hindu Rao Hospital.

"Today, we have ordered to shift all COVID-19 patients from Hindu Rao Hospital to our own facilities. They have the choice to be shifted to LNJP Hospital or any other government hospital nearby their homes," he said.

Hindu Rao Hospital is the largest municipal hospital in Delhi with 900 beds, and is currently a dedicated COVID-19 facility. Many of its healthcare workers had contracted the infection earlier.

Hindu Rao Hospital falls under the jurisdiction of the BJP-led North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC). "BJP is doing politics over the issue, they earn through several taxes, and if they can't run their hospitals, then they (NDMC) should hand them over to the Delhi government," Jain said.

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