New Delhi, Apr 12 (IANS): Amid the continuing exponential surge in Covid-19 cases in the city for the last few weeks, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said that several government and private hospitals will be converted into dedicated Covid care centres soon. The decision was taken in an emergency meeting to review the Covid-19 situation in the national capital.

The Chief Minister also directed the health department to increase the number of beds for Covid infected patients in both government and private hospitals across the capital.

In the meeting, Kejriwal asserted that the bed count must be at par with the bed count in November last year when corona was at its peak. "We must ensure our bed availability in government and private hospitals to be at par with November last year," he added.

He also directed senior officials of the health department to contact the Centre and request an increase in the number of beds and other facilities in the Central Government-run hospitals in Delhi to combat the coronavirus.

"We will further request the Central Government to increase beds for Covid infected patients in its hospitals as well. Delhi's Covid situation is very serious, the fourth peak of the virus more dangerous than ever. There should be no dearth in the number of beds available," he added.

He also appealed to the people of Delhi to follow Covid protocols, not to rush to hospitals unnecessarily and get vaccinated.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, who also attended the emergency meeting along with senior officials of the Delhi health department, later said, "We have requested the Central Government to escalate the Covid beds in Central Government's hospital. 1,090 Covid beds of the Central Government are currently available which was above 4,000 during November. The request has been made to step up the beds to that level."