New Delhi, Apr 9 (IANS): The Delhi government on Thursday removed GB Pant Hospital from its list of designated COVID-19 hospitals "keeping in view the difficulties faced by the general patients receiving treatment at Pant Hospital in super specialty streams".

A Health Department order said on Thursday that it will continue to function as it was before its designation as 'COVID-19 Hospital'.

The department has now directed the Lok Nayak Hospital to create additional 500-bed capacity by utilising OPD spaces and newly constructed block of MAIDS, in lieu of beds proposed to be designated in Pant Hospital.

Gearing up for an increased number of coronavirus cases, the Delhi government had shut OPDs at Lok Nayak (LNJP) and Pant hospitals from April 4, days after these were earmarked for dedicated treatment of coronavirus patients.

On March 31, the government announced these two along with Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital, Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital would treat coronavirus cases.

The government also said that LNJP and Pant hospitals, Rajiv Gandhi Hospital and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital have been asked to keep aside 3,500 beds for free treatment of positive cases.

The corona positive cases in the city were 669 as of Thursday morning. The Delhi government said it is ready to deal with up to 30,000 positive cases.