AIIMS Delhi to convert newly constructed 'Burns & Plastic Block' into dedicated COVID-19 facility

By Priyanka Sharma
New Delhi [India], June 11 (ANI): In a bid to ramp up the COVID-19 treatment facilities at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the country's apex medical institution is mulling to operationalise newly constructed 'Burns and Plastic Block' into a dedicated COVID19 treatment centre. The COVID-19 dedicated facility is going to start by the end of this week.
The decision by the AIIMS authorities comes after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said that Delhi will need 1.5 lakh beds in healthcare facilities by July 31 once people from other neighbouring states would start coming to the city for treatment.
As of now, AIIMS administration is providing COVID-19 related healthcare facilities at the apex trauma centre which has the capacity of 250 beds.
The burns and plastic block would add at least 100 beds into the existing beds dedicated to medical services to the coronavirus patients.
Dr DK Sharma, Medical Superintendent at AIIMS told ANI, "We are increasing healthcare facilities for coronavirus patients. Hence, we are working to start burns and plastic block into a dedicated COVID-19 treatment centre. This will create overall 350 beds (including 250 beds at the trauma centre and 100 beds at burns and plastic block) for virus-infected patients."
Burns and plastic block was near completion. Some minor work needs to be completed. It will have 30 ICU beds and 70 beds in the general ward, he said.
"As far as additional manpower is concerned, healthcare workers deputed in non-COVID-19 activities will be asked to join the coronavirus facilities," said Dr Sharma.
Presently, there are 553 COVID-19 patients admitted at the National Cancer Institute (NCI- Jhajjar) and 221 patients at trauma centre respectively.
ANI previously reported that Delhi is likely to see at least 1 lakh cases of COVID-19 by end June as per a projection made by a five-member committee formed by Delhi government. By July end, Delhi may witness 5.5 lakh COVID-19 cases, the government panel said.
On Thursday, the Union Health Ministry data showed the spike of 9,996 new coronavirus cases and 357 deaths in the last 24 hours. The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 8,102 and the total number of cases climbed to 2, 86,579. (ANI)