Manish Sisodia Writes to Delhi LG, Calls for Rollback of Home Quarantine Rule

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday requested Lt Governor Anil Baijal to scrap the system requiring every COVID-19 patient to visit a government-run centre for clinical assessment.

Sisodia said he has written to the LG, saying that the new system will only create problems for the patients and add pressure on the government machinery as an infected person will have to wait in long queues at these centres.

"Why should one go to quarantine centre for checkup? Has he made any mistake? At a time when the government should help him, we are giving him punishment of standing in long queues," Sisodia said during an online media briefing.

The deputy chief minister demanded that the previous system be implemented wherein medical teams of the district administration visited the house of an infected person for his or her clinical assessment.

He said that the national capital has been reporting nearly 3,000 cases every day and it is not feasible for every COVID-19 patient to undergo clinical assessment at COVID quarantine centres.

He said that the lieutenant governor should call a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority and revert to the old system.

Last week, Baijal had issued an order, making it mandatory for every new COVID-19 patient to visit a care centre for clinical assessment to ascertain whether he requires hospitalisation or home isolation.

Sisodia said that if a COVID-19 patient wait for his turn in long queue at such centres, there may be a possibility of spreading the virus.

"People have been facing a lot of problems as they are afraid of going to such centres after being infected with coronavirus. If they do not visit these centres, they get calls from police and district administration for clinical assessment.

"It will also create burden on the city's ambulance system. I want to ask whether ambulance should first take serious patient to hospital or those who are asymptomatic," he also said.

Sisodia alleged that COVID-19 patients are in a dilemma after the new system was put in place and they are not getting advice through dedicated helplines.

On Monday, Delhi recorded 2,909 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the tally in the city over the 62,000-mark, while the death toll from the disease climbed to 2,233.

From Friday to Sunday, 3,000 or more fresh cases were being reported every day in the national capital.