New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS): The Association of Healthcare Providers of India (AHPI) filed a petition in the Delhi High Court on Thursday against an order by the Delhi government that directed 33 private hospitals to reserve 80 per cent of their ICU bed capacity exclusively for the Covid-19 patients .

Girdhar J. Gyani, director of AHPI, said the petition has been filed on the ground that the order would snatch healthcare facilities from critically ill non-Covid patients.

"Eighty per cent is as good as 100. No critically non-Covid patients would receive treatment in dearth of ICU beds. It will further deteriorate the situation of non-Covid patients who suffer from life-threatening diseases like cancer or are on schedule for their surgical treatment for months.

"They (patients) will ultimately suffer or eventually could lose life since they have already been waiting for months to resume their treatment," he added.

The AHPI had criticised the order and demanded an immediate repeal.

It also said that a legal course of action would be taken if the government does not reverse the order, during a press conference held on Tuesday.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government had issued the order on Saturday, making it mandatory for the 33 private hospitals to block 80 per cent of their bed capacity for the Covid-19 patients.

These 33 hospitals also include five hospitals which have been converted into dedicated Covid facilities.