New Delhi, Mar 31 (IANS): In view of the spike in Covid-19 cases in the national capital, the Delhi government on Wednesday issued an order to increase the number Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds as well as normal beds in the private hospitals that are handling Covid cases in Delhi.

The move follows reports of shortage of ICU beds in some private hospitals.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Wednesday that the Delhi government has directed over 30 private hospitals in the national capital to enhance their ICU beds capacity for Covid-19 patients.

"We have issued orders to the private hospitals to increase the number of ICU beds by 220. We have also asked the big private hospitals to increase the number of beds in their wards by 838," Jain said.

The Health Minister also claimed that both ICU and general beds were available in the government-run hospitals.

"The occupancy in both government and private hospitals is around 25 per cent. However, in three to four hospitals, there was a shortage of ICU beds, for which the Delhi government has passed an order that in 33 big hospitals, the number of beds should be increased by 220," he said.

According to the Delhi government's coronavirus app, the total number of Covid-19 beds in the national capital is 5,815, out of which 1,799 are occupied and 4,016 are vacant.

Similarly, of the 787 Covid-19 ICU beds with ventilators, 298 are occupied while 489 are vacant. Of the 1,232 Covid-19 ICU beds without ventilators, 394 are occupied, while 838 are currently vacant.

The Delhi government had on Tuesday reviewed the Covid-19 situation in the national capital with special focus on the availability of beds. After the review meeting, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said that the number of ICU beds will be increased in the private hospitals.