Plea to check dengue: HC asks petitioner to approach govt

New Delhi, Sept 20: With

cases rising alarmingly, a plea has been filed in the

seeking a slew of directions to authorities including to ensure that there are adequate hospital beds for patients and to bear all treatment expenses.

A bench of Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justice Pradeep Nandrajog asked the petitioner lawyer to first approach the appropriate authority with his suggestions for "effective" implementation of an action plan to prevent dengue from spreading in the city.

Advocate Gaurav Bansal had filed the plea alleging that the civic agencies and the government have failed in effectively implementing the plan of action prepared by a government-appointed committee to prevent dengue.

The petitioner in his plea cited a media report dated September 17, 2013 which claimed that 466 cases of dengue have been reported till date in the city.

"...Because of the rise in the number of dengue cases in the capital, there is an acute shortage of beds at most hospitals in the city," the plea said and sought a direction to authorities to provide hospital bed to each and every dengue patient and to bear full and comprehensive expenses for their treatment.

The petitioner also sought that free test kits be given to all private hospitals. "Direct the respondents (MCD and Health Ministry, Union of India) to provide NS-1 Antigen ELISA test Kits to all the private hospitals situated within the jurisdiction of the National Capital," Bansal said in his plea.

It sought "Constitution of an independent committee to effectively monitor the implementation of mid-term action plan (2011–2013) and long-term action plan issued by NVBDCP, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India..." According to the latest report by the municipal bodies, 912 cases have been reported from Delhi and surrounding areas till now.

PTI