Delhi LG overturns Kejriwal’s order to reserve COVID-19 hospital beds for residents of Delhi

A day after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's decision about reserving Delhi government hospitals and some private hospitals for Delhi residents only, Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal, has overturned the decision.

He has also overruled the state's earlier order, to not test asymptomatic cases. Baijal has asked the Delhi government to follow testing guidelines issued by ICMR, which say, "Asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of a confirmed case to be tested once between day 5 and day 10 of coming into contact."

In one order, LG has referred to the Constitution of India and said, "Right to Health is an integral part of Right to Life".

He has further said that the treatment “should not be denied to any patient on grounds of being a non-resident of Delhi”. In addition, he has also directed authorities to ensure the same.

After Kejriwal's briefing on Sunday, the AAP government faced a lot of criticism on social media platforms, with many questioning the legality of this decision to not allow non-Delhi residents in some hospitals.

Earlier, defending the move, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said, "So, the people of Delhi need space for treatment. Besides, neighbouring states say they do not even have coronavirus cases," said Jain, defending the move. "If they are not even saying they have virus cases then what is the issue?" he added.

During a briefing on Sunday, Kejriwal had said, “By the end of the month of June, Delhi would need 15,000 beds... Over 90 percent people want Delhi hospitals to treat patients from the national capital during Coronavirus pandemic... Delhi hospitals will be available for the people of Delhi only, while Central hospitals will remain open for all... If people from other cities come to Delhi for specific surgeries, they will be treated at private hospitals.”