BS RAWAT
The Maharaja Agrasen Hospital in West Punjabi Bagh in Delhi has said that the hospital has not been sealed by the District Disaster Management Authority.

“The news that Agrasen Hospital has been sealed is wrong,. However, as a part of investigation, West Delhi Sub-Divisional Magistrate Dharmendra Kumar has ordered to shut hospital OPD and taking steps to contain the spread of Covid-19,” said Dr. Deepak Singla, Medical Director at the hospital.

Dr Singla told DTMT that although other critical services in the hospital are running smoothly the hospital is passing through a very difficult phase, facing a lot of challenges.

He explained the spread of Covid-19 and spike in number of positive cases in the hospital last week.

The medical director said all the staff members were quarantined and required testing was done. All necessary precautions were taken in the hospital.

"The hospital management is getting all the necessary tests done from private labs at its own expense to help all our employees, though the government has allowed testing from one of the government labs free of cost," he added.

 “We at this crucial juncture are well aware of limitations and resource stress on Government system and that is why we decided to get the tests done at our cost through private ICMR approved labs as a part of a responsible organization,” Dr Singla says.

"Also, we feel at this critical time we need to support our staff more than required as per law as well as not to over burden Government agencies who are facing an unprecedented task yet doing probably the best out of all the countries in the world," he added.

On Wednesday, area SDM had ordered that all those who visited or were present at the Maharaja Agrasen Hospital in Punjabi Bagh between March 13 and April 7 must stay in home quarantine for 15 days.