Why Delhi Government’s Decision to Allow Only City Residents to Get Treatment in Most Hospitals Is Worrying

On Sunday, June 7, Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that private hospitals and those run by the state government will now only give beds and treatment to Delhi residents. The policy not only applies to COVID-19 patients but also for those suffering from other illnesses. However, this would not apply to hospitals run by the central government including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital, and Safdarjung Hospital. Other exceptions include private hospitals that undertake specialised surgeries such as oncology, neurosurgery and transplants.

This move comes amid concerns of Delhi hospitals being overburdened with patients as lockdown restrictions are eased and sealed borders are opening up. It is being projected as a potential solution to the “black-marketing” of hospital beds, a recent controversy in which some private hospitals refused to provide coronavirus patients treatment unless they coughed up large sums of money. A five-member committee passed this decision after taking into account the city’s current hospital beds capacity. Previously, the government had told private hospitals to reserve 20 percent of their beds for COVID-19 patients. But as positive cases surge in the capital city, more provisions have to be made for these patients. Currently, there are 38 health facilities under the Delhi state government that have a total of about 11,000 beds. Experts speculate that Delhi will need 15,000 beds by June end.

“The people of Delhi have never refused treatment to those from other states who, at any given time, form 60 to 70 percent of patients in Delhi government hospitals,” Kejriwal said in a webcast announcing the policy. “But corona cases are now rising alarmingly in the city. In a situation like this, if hospitals are open to people from all states, where will the people of Delhi go? The panel has suggested that beds should be reserved for a few months. The Cabinet decided that there is a need to strike a balance.”

The circular giving details of the policy says Delhi residents seeking treatment can show proof of residence through options including passport, driver’s license, Aadhar card, ration card, water or electricity bill. However, this has raised doubts for people who are now migrating to Delhi in search of work or are temporarily based out of the capital city.

Zenab Singh*, a resident of Mumbai, had been waiting for the travel restrictions to ease so that she could move to Delhi to work as a journalist. However, this new development that allows only Delhi residents to seek hospital treatment has left her anxious about the move. “The order is causing a lot of distress to me because long before it was even issued, I had made my travel arrangements, given notice to my house here, and arranged for a packers and movers company to transport my belongings to Delhi,” Singh told VICE. “If I catch the virus on the flight (which has been happening to people on domestic flights), do I have an option to get treated in Delhi if I don't belong there yet? There's so much vagueness in terms of everything.”

While some doctors say this controversial move is necessary to combat the surge in coronavirus cases without overburdening doctors and hospitals, others argue that the Delhi government should have used the lockdown to establish more local healthcare options.

“How can you stop patients? People come to Delhi because they cannot get this kind of treatment anywhere else,” Dr Sanjay Rai, professor at Centre for Community Medicine at AIIMS and Indian Public Health Association president told The Print. “It’s the responsibility of the central and the state governments to create facilities if they feel they cannot cope with the caseload. The current caseload does not require this kind of a move.”

Kejriwal, who is being trolled on social media for his decision has himself been reported as unwell, and will be tested for coronavirus tomorrow. .

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