State Health dept forms team to evaluate private hospitals' dengue preparedness

Kolkata: The state Health department has formed a special team to assess whether various private hospitals and nursing homes in the city and the districts have adequate infrastructure to provide treatment to the patients suffering from dengue.

Steps have been taken as a precautionary measure to check dengue cases in the state. The state government is leaving no stone unturned regarding the same and has been working in tandem with various civic bodies to carry out anti-dengue drives.

The awareness campaigns have been initiated much earlier this season as the monsoon is yet to arrive in South Bengal.

The special committee of the Health department will not only examine the hospital infrastructure but also monitor the situation from time-to-time.

It will check if the nursing homes have adequate equipment and apparatus to treat dengue patients. It has often been alleged that many private nursing homes admit dengue patients without having proper infrastructure as a result of which patients' conditions deteriorate.

The Health department is exploring all possible avenues to check the recurrence of such incidents. Senior officials have already held meetings with various civic bodies including the Kolkata Municipal Corporation to maintain better coordination. The Health department will receive information from the civic bodies in this regard.

The special committee will also carry out inspection at various state-run medical colleges and hospitals in the city.

It was learnt that the Health department may take strong action against the private hospitals and nursing homes if they admit dengue patients without having appropriate infrastructure.

In previous years, serious lapses on part of several private hospitals and nursing homes had been identified.

The KMC has also taken up certain steps to create preparedness before the rains set in.

Few days ago, a drive was carried out in Ward 109 in Jadavpur. The KMC officials have been cleaning the water bodies and the areas which often serve as mosquito-breeding grounds. The KMC also identified 20 vulnerable wards in the city and issued directives to conduct adequate drives.