Sardar Patel COVID Care Centre to be closed by next week due to patient numbers going down: ITBP DG

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided to close India's largest COVID-19 care facility - Sardar Patel COVID-19 Care Centre and Hospital - due to substantially reduced load of patients owing to improvement in the coronavirus situation in the national capital.

Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Director-General SS Deswal told that the Home Ministry has accorded approval for closing the centre and it will be closed by next week.

The Home Ministry has also decided to close Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel COVID Hospital, Delhi Cantonment (SVBP Hospital) established by DRDO.

Deswal said the Sardar Patel COVID-19 Care Centre will be closed once the patients undergoing treatment are discharged.

"Since the last two months, there were hardly any patients. We had apprised the situation at the appropriate level and it has been decided that the centre will get closed soon. Currently, there are 60 patients in the Sardar Patel COVID-19 Care Centre and Hospital and once they are discharged, we will close the centre," said Deswal.

He said no new patients will be admitted as the hospitals in the national capital are equipped to deal with the number of new cases being reported every day.

"By next week it will be closed. We have to treat all patients first and later it will get closed, though we can start immediately if required as we have gained experience. No new patients will be admitted. The city's hospitals are equipped to handle the current numbers," he said.

"Our team of doctors along with (doctors) from other forces helped in running the centre. It was a nice experience to serve people. The best part was that treatment was given without charging a single penny," Deswal added.

MHA had earlier this year received a letter from ITBP requesting for cutting down the strength of doctors and paramedics deployed at the centre.

The ministry said in a communication that a "negligible number of persons" were admitted in January to Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel Covid Hospital Delhi Cantt. established by DRDO and Sardar Patel Covid Care Centre Chhattarpur managed by ITBP.

It said there had been a continuous decline in the number of COVID-19 positive cases in NCT of Delhi vis-a-vis adequate availability of the medical facilities and "after careful consideration of the situation, it has been decided to close down both facilities".

( With inputs from ANI )