New Delhi: As the dengue outbreak worsens, the Delhi government has directed private hospitals to cap the rates of tests and asked them to add 10% extra beds. They have also been told to charge half of the hospital’s minimum bed charge for patients on additional beds. Private hospitals will have to charge half of the hospitals’ lowest charge for an additional bed,” Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain said on Wednesday.
The government has also initiated action against nine chemists who were found selling non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin, disprin, brufen, voveran, combiflam etc., known to bring down the platelet count, without a doctor’s prescription.
Of the 500 samples collected by the department till September 15, 66 have tested positive for NS1 Elisa test. However, private hospitals in the city continue to treat patients on the basis of NS1 Rapid test, which is not as reliable as the former one. Doctors said the measures have come in a little too late.
“We are in the middle of a crisis. Control measures should have been started three months back. You can’t put a team together overnight. With beds one needs trained staff, drip stands etc.,” said a senior doctor at RML Hospital, requesting anonymity.
An analysis of data from various hospitals show dengue figures in the Capital may have been grossly under-reported. Eight government hospitals have reported 13 deaths as on Saturday, but the municipal corporations have confirmed just five.
Data from the civic bodies, which collate information from all private and government hospitals, clinics and nursing homes across the Capital, confirms just 1,872 dengue cases. This figure seems grossly low as data from eight government hospitals here alone account for 1,850 cases.
Bureau Report
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