“We have come to know that private hospitals are overcharging for dengue tests. That is why we have decided to put a cap on these tests for private hospitals and laboratories. Nobody can charge anything beyond this”, said Delhi Health Minister, Satyender Jain.
He said strict action will be taken against hospitals refusing to offer treatment to any dengue patient.
The Minister said more dengue testing kits are being procured in government hospitals. As per the order, private hospitals will <g data-gr-id="29">not to</g> charge more than Rs 600 for the tests which <g data-gr-id="28">is</g> free of cost in government facilities.
He also urged people not to indulge in “self-medication” and said people should “take medicines only on the prescription of doctors”.
There are three types of tests for dengue - NS1 antigen test, dengue antibody test, and the platelet count test.
The upper limit is Rs.600 each for the first two tests, and Rs.50 for platelet count test, the Minister said. Asked whether the Centre was unhappy with the Delhi government’s handling of the dengue crisis, Jain said that Union Health Minister J P Nadda has praised the city government for the way it is tackling the situation.
The state government has also instructed private hospitals to increase their bed count by 10 to 20 <g data-gr-id="26">per cent</g> within a week.
“If the private hospitals successfully increase the number of beds, there will be an average increase of at least 3,000 beds for patients in the capital. These will be used exclusively for fever and dengue patients, and no private hospital should turn away patients,” he said.
According to the Delhi government, there is a total of 10,000 beds in state-run hospitals, 20,000 in municipal and central government-run hospitals, and 20,000 more in private hospitals.