Close X
Sunday, November 24, 2024
ADVT 
India

Dengue Kills Three More In Delhi, Kejriwal Government Caps Tests At Rs.600

IANS, 16 Sep, 2015 04:34 PM
  • Dengue Kills Three More In Delhi, Kejriwal Government Caps Tests At Rs.600
Dengue claimed the lives of three more people in the national capital -- a 41-year-old woman, a seven-year-old boy and a 14-year-old -- taking the toll to 16, even though officially the toll stayed at five. The Delhi government fixed Rs.600 as the maximum any private hospital can charge for dengue tests.
 
Monika Bahl of Lajpat Nagar area died at Moolchand Hospital of dengue shock syndrome leading to multi-organ failure on Monday morning. Doctors said she was brought to the hospital following fever and vomiting. Her death was reported on Wednesday.
 
"She was shifted to the ICU three days after admission when she developed respiratory problems. She tested positive for dengue antibody test, which means she had contracted the disease earlier, and this time again," Srikant Sharma, senior consultant for internal medicine at Moolchand Hospital, told IANS.
 
The seven-year-old boy was brought in critical condition on Wednesday morning to B.L. Kapoor Hospital in Rajinder Nagar of west Delhi and died within a few hours, while the teenager was admitted to Maharaja Agrasen Hospital in Punjabi Bagh area of west Delhi two days ago and died on Tuesday, hospital sources told IANS.
 
Delhi's civic bodies have so far confirmed only five dengue deaths in the capital and the number of cases as 1,872. However, deaths caused by dengue have gone up to at least 14 as tracked by IANS. Civic bodies tote up the figures officially only on a weekly basis, and release or confirm the deaths only every Monday.
 
The Delhi government has also asked private hospitals to keep the dengue testing cap at Rs.600.
 
"We have come to know that private hospitals are overcharging for dengue tests. That is why we've decided to fix a cap on these tests for the private hospitals and laboratories. Nobody can charge anything beyond this rate," said Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain.
 
There are three tests for dengue -- NS1 antigen test, dengue antibody test and the platelet count test.
 
 
The government has fixed a cap of Rs.600 each for the first two tests and Rs.50 for the platelet count test, the minister said.
 
The state government has also instructed private hospitals to increase their bed count by 10-20 percent 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 only for fever and dengue patients and no private hospital should turn away patients," he said.
 
On the dengue deaths in the capital, Jain said: "This is not an outbreak but people are in panic. I appeal to the people to try and avoid mosquito bite during day time. People should understand their responsibility. They shouldn't let water collect in pots, pans, tyres and utensils."
 
He also urged people not to indulge in "self medication" and said they should "take medicines only on the prescription of doctors".
 
"But they should not pressurise hospitals to get themselves admitted. If a doctor feels a patient needs to be admitted, he will do it," said Jain.
 
On the shortage of beds at Safdarjung Hospital, Jain said: "I have spoken to (union Health Minister) J.P. Nadda yesterday (Tuesday) and requested him to look into the matter."
 
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and medical experts trained party volunteers across Delhi on Wednesday so that they could spread awareness on the dengue prevention and treatment.

MORE India ARTICLES

A Doctor's 'Jihad' To Popularize Birth Control Among Assam's Muslims

A Doctor's 'Jihad' To Popularize Birth Control Among Assam's Muslims
Now, Muslim males with two or more children are voluntarily coming out in large numbers to get sterilized and help control the population.

A Doctor's 'Jihad' To Popularize Birth Control Among Assam's Muslims

Millionaire Indian-Origin British Hotelier Ranjit Singh Power Goes Missing In Punjab

Millionaire Indian-Origin British Hotelier Ranjit Singh Power Goes Missing In Punjab
Punjab Police have booked a UK-based NRI for the mysterious disappearance of a British hotelier of Indian origin Ranjit Singh Power, who has been missing from the state since May 7, an official said on Wednesday.

Millionaire Indian-Origin British Hotelier Ranjit Singh Power Goes Missing In Punjab

India Boils As Mercury Travels North; More Than 500 Killed

India Boils As Mercury Travels North; More Than 500 Killed
India continued to reel under heatwave conditions on Monday with the day-temperature soaring to 47 degrees Celsius in Maharashtra's Chandrapur.

India Boils As Mercury Travels North; More Than 500 Killed

End Of 'Bure Din' In One Year: Prime Minister Narendra Modi

End Of 'Bure Din' In One Year: Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Asserting that his government has delivered the promised "achche din" (good days) to the people, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that the promise was not for those who looted the nation.

End Of 'Bure Din' In One Year: Prime Minister Narendra Modi

One Year Of Modi Government: 25 Achievements, 25 Challenges

One Year Of Modi Government: 25 Achievements, 25 Challenges
The following are a set of 25 key achievements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi government in the past one year, as listed by stakeholders and analysts, and an equal number of challenges that need to be addressed:

One Year Of Modi Government: 25 Achievements, 25 Challenges

Smriti Irani Implementing RSS Agenda: Congress

Smriti Irani Implementing RSS Agenda: Congress
The Congress on Sunday accused Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani of playing with the country's future by implementing the agenda of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Smriti Irani Implementing RSS Agenda: Congress