Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Wednesday held an emergency meeting with the heads of hospitals and directed them to scale up beds for patients of heat-related illnesses.

During the meeting, it was decided that Delhi Police beat officers and patrolling teams will be requested help in shifting homeless to shelter homes in case they are found on a footpath.

Bharadwaj said in a post on X, "Chaired an emergency meeting with heads of all major hospitals regarding Heat stroke patients. Delhi Police beat officers/ patrolling teams will be requested help in shifting homeless to shelter homes in case they are lying under open sky. Department is sending communication to Delhi Police Commissioner to ask their patrolling teams to call Ambulances in case their teams spot destitute is running high fever or sick."

"Hospitals to scale up the beds for patients of heat related illnesses. Circular issued to Hospitals & CATS Ambulance service. Fresh advisory to be advertised in Radio and Newspapers," the minister added.

In a communication to all hospitals, the Health Department said importance of early management of heat affected patients was informed to all the hospitals in the meeting.

"Due to prolong heat wave this year, all the MS/MDs/CDMOs/DGHS are directed to ensure that emergency remain operational 24 hours of the day in the hospitals and a senior doctor must always remain present in the emergency to handle such type of patients. As already directed, all the necessary medicines required for treatment of such patients also must remain in the hospitals," read the circular.

The circular directed medical superintendents and medical directors to personally ensure the immediate admission and treatment of heat stroke patients, so as to ensure that maximum lives could be saved.

"All the CDMOs are also directed to ensure that even if such a patient comes to the dispensaries, the immediate treatment is given to the patient and he is shifted to the nearest hospital in ambulance. CATS is also directed to ensure that the calls for such admission of patients are attended immediately and the patients are transferred to the nearest hospitals.

All the ambulances of the CATS Department must remain on high alert during the day as well as night and some of the ambulances be parked near the most affected area and near shelter homes," the circular said.

Last month, Bharadwaj had announced that the Delhi government-run hospitals will reserve two beds each for heatstroke patients while five beds will be reserved at the LNJP Hospital.