Delhi Health Minister Holds Emergency Meet to Tackle, Prevent Spread of Dengue

To prevent spread of dengue, all hospitals have been directed not to deny admission to any patient and make appropriate arrangements to tackle dengue.

To review the status of dengue cases in Delhi, Health Minister Satyender Jain held an emergency meeting. Later, during a surprise visit to a hospital, some patients' relatives heckled the minister.

"Discussion on the steps to be taken to prevent spread of dengue in Delhi was held in the meeting. All hospitals have been directed not to deny admission to any patient," Jain told media persons after the meeting on dengue cases in the capital city which was attended by all district magistrates (DMs) and divisional commissioners (DCs).

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Dengue-related deaths have risen to 44 out of which 18 cases were confirmed to be caused by the disease, while the remaining 26 cases are still under investigation.

"They have been asked to make appropriate arrangements to tackle cases of dengue. Directions for monitoring of dengue cases were also issued in the meeting," he said.

The dengue outbreak has caused shortage of beds for these patients across hospitals.

On Saturday, the central government ordered a probe while the Delhi government had issued notice to five private hospitals in the capital after a seven-year-old boy Avinash died of dengue. He was allegedly denied admission despite being in critical condition. After his death, the child's traumatized parents committed suicide.

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A seven-year-old died of suspected dengue on September 8 after allegedly being denied admission by the private hospitals on the previous day.

The Delhi government has asked the city's five hospitals to explain why their registration should not be cancelled for allegedly denying admission to the boy.

After the meeting, the health minister conducted a surprise inspection at Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital to take stock of the dengue cases and availability of beds there.

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After the death of their son due to dengue, the parents have left a suicide note that nobody was responsible for their act and they were in extreme shock.

Sources said that, during the inspection, Jain was heckled by relatives of the patients at the hospital.

After inspection of the hospital Jain said: "There are two patients on a bed, we don't deny this. They (hospital staff) are not refusing admission."

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Initially, he had come with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), secondary to dengue. But two days ago, he tested for dengue also.

Source-IANS