Don't deny treatment to dengue, chikungunya patients: HC

New Delhi, Sep 20: Concerned over rise in dengue and chikungunya cases which have claimed several lives, Delhi High Court today asked city hospitals run by the Centre and AAP government not to deny treatment to patients as it passed a slew of directions in the matter.

A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal ordered that steps be taken by both governments to increase the strength of doctors, nurses and other staff in their hospitals by engaging "retired personnel, if so required, to meet the exigencies".

"The Government of India as well as Government of NCT of Delhi shall take effective steps to ensure that the dengue/ chikungunya patients are not denied treatment/admission in any of the hospital (government/private) of Delhi. ...assistance of NGOs who are involved in such activities may also be taken," the court said.

The direction came on a plea filed by advocate Shahid Ali, who has accused the two governments and the municipal corporations here of not acting vigilantly and responsibly to control dengue, a mosquito-borne tropical disease.

On August 17, the court had disposed of two petitions on the same issue observing that several measures stated to have been undertaken have not reached the public at large and the spread of the diseases was playing havoc with the lives of the inhabitants of Delhi.

"Dengue is one of the major public health challenges in Delhi especially during Monsoon and the prevailing situation in relation to dengue, in our considered opinion, needs more effective steps to control the damage," it had said.

The court had also directed the authorities concerned to take appropriate steps for periodical visits of houses, more particularly those located in slum areas, for prevention of mosquito breeding by adopting necessary measures such as fogging and spraying of insecticides by the municipal bodies.

PTI