Hospitals which deny treatment won't be spared: Arvind Kejriwal on Delhi dengue crisis

After yet another death due to dengue and alleged hospital negligence, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said that the Delhi government was taking measures to improve the situation and further said that the hospitals which denied treatment to patients will be punished.

According to TV reports, Kejriwal is conducting surprise visits to the hospitals in Delhi. His statements on the dengue crisis come after six-year-old Aman died of dengue, with his family claiming negligence by hospitals. Last week, seven-year-old Avinash had succumbed to the disease after allegedly being turned away by five hospitals which had driven his parents to suicide.

“We are planning to come out with a law so that hospitals refusing treatment to an emergency patient can be penalised. In the next couple of days, we will call a special session of the Legislative Assembly to bring in the law,” Kejriwal said. “It is sad that some private hospitals did something so inhuman just for profit…Hospitals which refuse healthcare to patients will not be spared,” he said, referring to the death of two children after they were allegedly denied treatment by hospitals.

However, Kejriwal said the licenses of the hospitals denying treatment could not be cancelled as there would be a shortage of hospitals if that happened. “If we cancel the licenses of those hospitals, there will be shortage of hospitals. But we will punish them,” he said.

“We are arranging extra beds in hospitals to provide more space in hospitals where patients can be treated,” said the Delhi CM.

Kejriwal also appealed to the people of Delhi not to panic. “Government has made arrangements in government hospitals,” he said.

Aman, from Srinivaspuri area of South Delhi, has become the tenth victim of dengue this season.

The Delhi government has also summoned administrators of all private hospitals and nursing homes in the city.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain will hold a meeting with them on Tuesday evening.

“Jain has summoned administrators of all private hospitals and nursing homes of Delhi for a meeting in view of the reports of their refusal to admit dengue patients,” a senior Delhi government official said.

In the meeting, administrators of nursing homes and private hospitals will be given strict orders to not refuse admission to any suspected dengue patient.

As per the corporation’s fresh data released on Monday, 613 cases of dengue have been reported in the last one week and a total 1,872 patients have tested positive for the vector borne disease till 12 September.

(With inputs from PTI)