Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal through a tweet said the government has moved the top court in the matter.

 

"Del (Delhi) HC has stayed our order to increase ICU beds in pvt (private) hospitals. Filed appeal in SC yesterday. We hope SC will lift the stay keeping in view the critical situation," Kejriwal said.

 

Delhi is witnessing a record single-day spike in the number of Covid-19 cases for the past few days with over 6,800 cases getting reported on Wednesday. Kejriwal has said the city is witnessing a "third wave" of the virus in the backdrop of rising pollution levels and the festive season.

 

On September 22, a single judge bench of the Delhi High Court had stayed the September 13 decision of the government to reserve 80 per cent ICU beds in private hospitals for Covid-19 patients.

 

The high court had said that asking 33 big private hospitals to reserve 80 per cent ICU beds for Covid-19 patients would violate the fundamental rights of those with other health issues.

 

Senior advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for the petitioner, Association of Healthcare Providers, had submitted that the order was passed without application of mind as the majority of the ICU/HDU beds in the private hospitals were fully occupied.

 

He had added that the order directing reservation of 80 per cent beds in ICU/HDU for Covid patients thereby jeopardised both the health and life of non-Covid patients on the one hand, and the effective functioning of healthcare facilities on the other.

 

This single bench order has now been challenged by the AAP government in the Supreme Court. The matter is scheduled for hearing on November 27.