When Covid-19 turned into a global pandemic, many nations across the world came up with a strategy to set up makeshift hospitals to cater the needs of growing infected patients as the virus challenged the healthcare facilities even of all the developed nations.

Apart from the medical oxygen-crisis, limited healthcare facilities during the second Covid wave was also one of the most apparent reasons for the devastating pandemic in India. As the virus continued to pose challenges to the healthcare facilities across the nation, many makeshift hospitals were constructed on an urgent basis to accommodate the patients suffering from the infection. The Indian Railways stopped all trains and converted many coaches into isolation centres for the patients.

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However, the daily Covid case trajectory has shown the declining trend now, all makeshift hospitals in the national capital Delhi are operational and will remain in a standby mode to face the severity of a possible third Covid wave.

The health scientists are continuously warning about the possible third wave in India anytime. Recently, the Delhi government announced building seven makeshift hospitals with 7,000 ICU beds in the next six months to prepare for a potential third covid wave. These seven makeshift hospitals will be constructed by the public works department (PWD) in Sarita Vihar, Shalimar Bagh, Sultanpuri, Kirari, Raghubir Nagar, GTB hospital, and Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya.

The makeshift Covid-19 facility attached to the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital at Ramleela Maidan started operations with 250 ICU beds during the second wave. Dr Ritu Saxena, Media Cell Chief, says that the makeshift Covid-19 facility at Ram Leela ground is fully operational and “we are planning the extension of the facility there as per the direction from the government to prepare in advance for possible third wave.

She said, “Till we get any direction from the government, the facility will remain operational.” Though, she accepts that only a few Covid patients are visiting the facility now.

Dr Purvi Verma, Clinical Doctor at the CWG Covid care center, said, “We are ready to face the challenges of the third wave with two oxygen plants ready and a total of 450 beds attached with the oxygen supply.”

She said we have two halls here where 450 beds are available along with 50 beds with ICU facilities. “We have received directions for 460 beds to be in complete operation”. A Medical Mobile Unit (MMU) facility also runs from the CWG center that detects the Covid patients and provides quality treatment. The facility is presently running in New Delhi district.

“SPCCC Radha Soami Satsang Beas in Chhatarpur will continue to function till further orders. We will continue to manage the centre till the time we are asked to do so”, ITBP spokesperson Vivek Kumar Pandey said. He said, “However, we are receiving near to zero Covid patients and have reduced the staff for the facility. We will continue to be operational till we get any direction from the government.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain recently said that all necessary measures are being taken and health infrastructure is being ramped up to unprecedented levels with more than 37,000 Covid-19 dedicated beds being built for the fight against the likely third wave of Covid-19. He said that if third wave comes, it will be milder than the second wave in Delhi at least because the majority of the cases that emerged during April-May this year were caused by the Delta variant, implying the majority of the population may already have antibodies.