Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has increased the number of ICU beds to 500 in Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Covid Hospital at Delhi Cantonment on the advice of Union Government in view of the rising number of cases in Delhi NCR. All the beds are provided with oxygen support. Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS), Lt Gen Anup Banerji, SM, PHS, has been continuously monitoring the updating of the facility to meet the current upsurge and the information has been updated on Delhi Government portal.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Covid Hospital is DRDO’s 1000 bed facility, which was made operational on 5th July 2020 with a mandate to treat COVID-19 positive patients from Delhi and other states. The increase in the number of ICU beds required additional equipment like ICU monitors, HFNC machines, and up-gradation of existing oxygen pipeline. To deal with the unprecedented surge in number of cases, AFMS has increased the medics. Doctors and nursing staff from ITBP, CAPF and other services have joined and are working round the clock.

There have been 3271 admissions in the hospital so far out of which 2796 patients have been cured/ discharged. There are 434 patients undergoing treatment in the hospital presently, out of which 356 are civilians and 78 are service personnel.

The hospital has been admitting patients from all over Delhi and adjoining states like Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh. The Directorate General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) has provided Doctors, Nursing officers, paramedics and associated manpower for state of the art medical treatment to Covid-19 patient care. The support services and the technical services for the routine hospital activities like Housekeeping Services, Laundry, CSSD, Food and Beverages, and Fire Services are maintained by DCW&E and CCR&D Central, DRDO. Sh Ajai Singh, Chief Engineer of DRDO Works Department (Civil Works & Estate) stated that this is the biggest facility in Delhi in terms of ICUs for COVID-19 patients and infrastructure has been made such that more ICU beds can be made available on requirement.

DRDO undertook the design, development and operationalisation of the facility on war footing and built it in a record time of 12 days jointly with Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Armed Forces, Tata Sons and other industries. The existing facilities at the hospital include oxygen supply to each bed, x-ray, electrocardiogram (ECG), haematological test facilities, ventilators, COVID Test Lab, Wheel Chairs, Stretchers and other medical equipment. DRDO developed COVID-19 technologies productionised by the Industry such as ventilators, decontamination tunnels, personal protective equipment (PPEs), N95 masks, contact-free sanitizer dispensers, sanitisation chambers and medical robots, trolleys etc., have also been utilised at the facility.

In this hospital, patients are treated free of cost including diagnostics, medicines and food. The patients being treated in the hospital have expressed satisfaction and appreciation for the care and hygienic facilities at the hospital..

ABB/Nampi/Rajib