Govt likely to buy 1,000 more beds

According to the government, 55 dengue clinics in all 11 districts of the city have been made functional from Monday.

“If needed in future, the government will also buy 1,000 new beds to accommodate the increasing number of dengue patients in government hospitals,” Jain said.

“We have today (Monday) started 55 dengue clinics in all the 11 districts and each district has five such clinics which will be open from 7 am to 9 pm. At these clinics, we have also set up two-three beds to check patients,” Jain said.

The Delhi government has also decided to increase the number of beds in government hospitals, with 200 beds each in Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital and Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital.  A hundred beds will be increased in Madan Mohan Malviya Hospital.

Jain also said: “Till 2 pm on Monday, 2,477 people got themselves checked at these clinics.”

A senior official said the government has ordered that no hospital can refuse admission to any dengue patient.

Sources in the government said the MCD has “failed” to provide data of dengue patients and deaths caused by this disease and in view of this, the government has decided to provide data of such records of all its hospitals daily.

Meanwhile, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda reviewed facilities for treatment of dengue patients such as beds etc, in Central government hospitals such as Safdarjung Hospital, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, AIIMS, Sucheta Kriplani hospital and Kalawati Saran hospitals under Lady Hardinge Hospital in Delhi, here on Monday. During the review with the MS of various central government hospitals, he asked them to submit the status report on Dengue on a daily basis. 

On <g data-gr-id="45">Monday</g> the Delhi high court issued notices to the Centre and the state government on a PIL accusing the AAP government and MCDs of not acting vigilantly and responsibly to control dengue.

The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed by Congress leader Ajay Maken in the wake of dengue deaths and cases in the national Capital.

Citing lack of funds as an alibi for their gross failure in controlling dengue outbreak, the MCDs rendered the general public completely helpless, the petition said.

It also said that all hospitals — private and public — should be directed not to refuse any patients on account of monetary conditions or any other reason and in case of misconduct of hospitals or refusal to admit patients, heavy penalty must be imposed by the court.

The MCDs should be directed to urgently undertake special fumigation and sanitation drives and anti-mosquito breeding operations in their respective areas, said the PIL, adding the Central government should be directed to depute more doctors in the national Capital from the central pool.

Acting on a different PIL, the court had sought a status report by September 24 from the Central and Delhi governments on the steps taken to control the dengue menace.