Delhi to test 18,000 per day from June 20: Sanjay Singh

New Delhi: The Delhi government will conduct about 18,000 tests per day from June 20 to detect coronavirus infection in the city, said Aam aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh on Monday after the all party meeting with Union Home MInister Amit Shah.

Speaking to reporters here, Singh said, "During the all party meeting it has been decided that 1,900 beds in state government hospitals, 2,000 beds in central government hospitals and 1,078 beds in private hospitals will be added for Covid-19 patients."

He said, 500 isolation ward coaches will be provided by railways for 8,000 patients. The number of isolation ward coaches will be increased to 1,000 in the coming days taking the facility to 16,000 Covid patients, he said.

The Rajya Sabha MP also said that the government has decided to appoint IAS officers to monitor the central, state and private hospitals in the national capital for the Covid-19 treatment.

"From June 20, we will conduct 18,000 Covid-19 tests," he said.

Shah had called the all party meeting to discuss the Covid-19 situation in the national capital. The meeting was also attended by newly appointed Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta, and Delhi Congress chief Chaudhary Anil Kumar at the North Block office here.

Speaking to reporters, Gupta said, "We have demanded from the government to cap the price of the Covid-19 testing at the private labs." He further said that the BJP has raised the issue of increasing the number of beds in the hospitals for the Covid-19 patients.

The Congress leader said that it is the responsibility of the central and state governments to answer the people. He said, "We have submitted 11 points with the government. We have said that stadiums and places like Pragati Maidan should be taken up to ramp up capacity in Delhi. The schools and colleges and their hostels should be used for Covid-19 patients."

Commenting on the railway isolation ward coaches, he said, "As the temperature of Delhi is soaring we have asked the government to look for other arrangements instead of isolation ward coaches."

Kumar accused the AAP government of not completing the three hospital projects in the city which could have added over 2,900 beds.