Surging Omicron: Delhi govt roping NGOs to strengthen health facilities

NEW DELHI: Delhi government is in process of roping NGOs for strengthening its health infrastructure and manpower in view of rising cases of Omicron in the national capital.

"A cabinet nod for hiring 'Doctors for You' for providing manpower for running 3 DCHCS (Sawan Kripal Ashram; Sardar Patel, Chattarpur & Sant Nirankari, Burari) and Ayurvedic and Unani Tibbia Hospital has been put up for approval," according to an official documentation.

'Doctors for You' has already been engaged for DCHCS including Shehnai Banquet Hall, Commonwealth Games Village Hall, Rouse Avenue School and Yamuna Sports Complex, the document stated.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had on Thursday announced that since Omicron infection does not require hospitalisation in most cases, the home-isolation module is being strengthened and an agency was being hired for it.

"The capacity to follow up patients in home isolation will be increased from the current 1,100 cases daily to one lakh each day. As soon as someone tests positive, a phone call will be made to the person and the next day a medical team will visit the person to provide him with a kit containing medicines and other items.

"Also, patients in home isolation will be counselled by the doctors for 10 days. The government will also increase daily Covid tests capacity from around 60,000 to 70,000 at present to three lakh per day. A two-month stock of required medicines will also be maintained," the chief minister had added.