Coronavirus care centre with 500 oxygen beds to be reopened in Delhi, to be run by ITBP

A Covid care centre equipped with 500 oxygen beds will be operationalised in Delhi and it will be run by the doctors and paramedics of border guarding force ITBP, officials said on Thursday.

"The Delhi government had sought medical officers and para-medical staff from the ministry of home affairs to man the Sardar Patel Covid Care Centre at Chhattarpur, which is being re-operationalised."

"The ministry of home affairs has designated ITBP as the nodal force for operating the facility," a home ministry spokesperson said.


Delhi has been witnessing a surge in coronavirus cases.

Over 24,000 fresh Covid-19 cases and 249 deaths were recorded on Wednesday amid a growing clamour for oxygen and hospital beds in the city.

ITBP director general SS Deswal told PTI that the force is putting together the manpower for the facility located at Radha Soami Beas in south Delhi and they will be in place as soon as the infrastructure at the centre is ready.

"We will have sufficient manpower. If need arises, we can deploy more of our doctors and medical staff to enhance beds at this centre that will be made operational with 500 beds initially," he said.

A senior official added that the centre is expected to be operational in the next three days.

This centre was operationalised in June-July last year and closed on February 23 during which it treated 11,657 coronavirus-infected patients.