Faced with surging Covid cases, the Delhi government has deputed senior officials to supervise all government and private hospitals in Delhi so as to ensure adequate healthcare to Delhites in these trying pandemic times.

As many as 10 IAS officers have been appointed as nodal officers for state government hospitals and 15 DANICS officers ( a special cadre for union territories)have been appointed as nodal officers in private hospitals. About 24 DANICS probationers who are currently undergoing training in health and family welfare department will also assist, sources close to the developments said.

The IAS officers, designated as nodal officers, will oversee overall management of the Covid-19 hospitals assigned to them and will exercise general superintendence and scan the directions and control over the functioning of the hospitals.

Additionally medical superintendents and directors of the respective hospitals would obtain concurrence of all decisions relating to Covid management from the assigned nodal officer. The nodal officers have also been instructed to utilise their staff from the original office with the operations at the hospital.

The DANICS officers who have been stationed in private hospitals as nodal officers will handhold the management of the hospitals and oversee that the government instructions and orders are being adhered to and complied in letter and spirit.

Also the grievance redressal systems operated via telephone helpline numbers would be overseen and examined by the nodal officers both in private and government hospitals. Delhi chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had given these instructions at a review meeting on Covid-19 and said that there should be multiple assistance numbers in the hospitals and nodal person should be appointed at every helpline number.

The move to appoint senior officials comes at a time when Delhi has seen a record daily new Covid-19 cases of about 19,486 and positivity rate touching near 20 per cent. The Delhi government has already taken steps to convert several private hotels and banquet halls into Covid care centres in view of the pandemic situation going out of control. The Delhi government has also initiated steps to increase the number of oxygen beds in the city.

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