Dengue deaths: Centre demands strict action against refusal, overcharging by hospitals

New Delhi: The Centre on Tuesday asked Delhi Government to take strict action against hospitals refusing dengue patients and directed it to rein in private facilities overcharging them, even as another child succumbed to the disease due to alleged negligence of a hospital.

As the national capital battled the worst outbreak of dengue in the past five years with the total number of cases between January 1 and September 12 standing at 1,872, the Union Health Ministry has asked government hospitals to increase the number of beds in order to meet to the rush of patients.

"I held a meeting with the Delhi Health Minister and asked him to take strict action against hospitals refusing dengue patients. They have been asked to submit a report on the actions taken. We have also assured that whatever support they need will be given," Health Minister J P Nadda said after chairing a high level meeting with officials of RML, Safdarjung and Lady Hardinge hospitals.

The statement comes another boy died of dengue with his family claiming negligence by hospitals in the city where only last week seven-year-old Avinash had succumbed to the disease after allegedly being turned away by five hospitals which had driven his parents to suicide.

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The Health Ministry noted that, in Delhi, the situation of cases detected and deaths reported due to dengue have gone on the "higher" side compared to last year.

While the number of cases detected in Delhi last year was 995, the number this year ending second week of September was 1,872 and loss of life has been reported to be five as compared to three last year, an official statement said.