Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday said that after making five days’ institutional quarantine mandatory for COVID-19 patients, Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal had also stopped the work of the company which was counselling the patients at home. He said the facility will continue till Monday and other options will be discussed then.
The revocation of the order making five days’ institutional quarantine mandatory for COVID-19 patients came after several tussles throughout the day.
After the first meeting, Mr. Sisodia said they could not reach a consensus with Mr. Baijal during a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority. He said they would meet again at 5 p.m.
“The State Disaster Management Authority meeting did not agree on both issues — rate of private hospital beds and L-G’s order to end home isolation. Now the meeting will be held again at 5 p.m.,” he said in a tweet.
Earlier in the day, AAP national spokesperson Raghav Chadha said, “According to our calculation, by June 30, 15,000 beds would be required [in Delhi]. But after this order [to end home isolation] by the BJP, 90,000 beds would be required. From where will these 90,000 beds come? Who will get these beds? Delhi is the only state in the country where this order is being implemented.”
After the first DDMA meeting happened, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh termed the L-G’s order a “dictatorial decision”.
“ I want to ask what dictatorial order is this? One rule for the country and another rule for Delhi. Is the BJP government taking revenge on the people?” Mr. Singh said addressing media.
“The Centre is saying that in Delhi even if one is a mild case, the person will be put in a railway coach. Is the railway coach liveable? In this 47 degree Celsius, the coach is like a furnace. There is no facility of AC in it and the BJP says go and stay in it. I feel it is an unjust order.”
After the second meeting, Sisodia said, “The Central Committee had advised 60% COVID beds in private hospitals at a lower rate. Very few beds would have been available at a lower price in that case. Now 100% beds will be available at a lower price. Decision — 100% COVID beds shall be subsidised up to an upper limit of 60% of hospital capacity.”
Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G. Kishan Reddy, on the sidelines of inspecting Antigen Detection Testing Centre in north-east Delhi on Saturday, said Mr. Baijal might have issued the order — making five days’ institutional quarantine mandatory for COVID patients — for the benefit of those who do not have space in their homes.
“Delhi L-G might have ordered institutional quarantine for the benefit of those who do not have space in their homes. But I think that he will issue another info by today evening for people who can create an isolated separate room in their homes [sic],” he told reporters
After the inspection Mr. Reddy said the Central government was doing “everything possible from day one” and confronting the COVID pandemic in Delhi, which was a union territory and also the capital of the country, meant it was the responsibility of the state government as well as the Central government to make “special arrangements.”
Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta said his party had “repeatedly requested the Modi government to intervene” to improve the condition and “crumbling” health system of Delhi. “As a result, the respective Ministries and Ministers of the Central Government, BJP karyakartas are constantly striving to help the needy people and to take preventive measures,” he said.
North East Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari said the Delhi government had “made a habit of taking political advantage in everything” which was why, even during the pandemic, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his government were “busy in their political interests more than the prevention of the pandemic.”
