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The Delhi government will bear the cost of educating and bringing up children who have lost both their parents to Covid-19, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said Friday.
Over the past month, child welfare bodies and helplines have come across several cases wherein children have been left orphaned. In many other cases, the earning member of the family has died.
Addressing a webcast on Friday, Kejriwal said, “We have seen very painful days recently. Many families saw more than one death. Many children lost both parents. I want to tell them that I understand their pain and am standing in support. Every child who has lost their parents will be educated. The cost of their education and upbringing will be borne by the government. I ask neighbours and families to take care of them too. There are parents who have lost children, and families who have lost their earning member. We will take care of them. Main hoon na.”
Earlier this month, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) had raised an alarm over social media posts asking for intervention in the form of adoption of children who have lost their parents in the current Covid surge.
Covid ICU facility attached to Lok Nayak to start ops today
Meanwhile, Kejriwal said a makeshift Covid facility attached to the Lok Nayak Hospital will start operations on Saturday with 250 ICU beds. Kejriwal inspected the facility at Ramlila ground on Friday and thanked doctors, engineers, and workers who set up 500 ICU beds in just 15 days.
He said 250 ICU beds will start on Saturday, and the remaining will become operational by Monday.
Another 500 ICU beds have already become operational at a Covid care facility attached to the Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital. A total of 200 ICU beds are being prepared at the Radha Soami Covid facility in Chhatarpur, according to a statement.
This means that a total of 1,200 ICU beds will become operational in Delhi in the next one or two days, he said.
The chief minister said the Covid situation in Delhi is improving, and as a result lesser beds are getting occupied in hospitals. “However, ICU beds are still full. This means that the system still has serious patients. So, we need more ICU beds. I am sure that these 1,200 ICU beds will provide relief to the people of Delhi,” he said.
With PTI inputs