Dengue Toll Mounts to 16, Over 2k Affected by Fever in National Capital

NEW DELHI: With the dengue deaths of two more children, including a three-year-old girl in the past 24 hours, the toll due to the disease has risen to 16 in the capital city, even as the AAP government and the BJP-run civic bodies continue to grapple with fever cases.

Neha, a resident of Sangam Vihar in South Delhi, died on Wednesday afternoon at the Saket City Hospital. Her distraught parents alleged that a government hospital and a private nursing home did not provide her proper treatment for dengue. Another death was of a nine-year-old girl Sabreena Fatima, who succumbed to the vector-borne disease at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.

Data released by the Delhi government shows that in the last 24 hours, 2,519 people were admitted with fever and related complaints. Of these, 281 were dengue cases. This has been the worst outbreak of the disease in New Delhi in the past five years.

Surprisingly though, the AAP government has said that there is no need for panic and appealed to the people to take preventive steps and not to pay attention to ‘rumours’.  Concerned over the rise in dengue cases, the Delhi High Court has asked the Centre and the city government to explain the steps they have taken to contain the disease.

A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath also asked the three municipal corporations and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to explain the steps taken by them to control the disease.

Terming it a serious issue, the bench issued notice to the Centre, Delhi government, municipal corporations and NDMC, directing them to file a short affidavit before September 24. The court, meanwhile, refrained from ordering an FIR against the directors of hospitals that denied treatment to a dengue-affected seven-year-old boy, who’s grieving parents committed suicide.

The plea seeking lodging of an FIR was filed by a law student Gauri Grover, who contended that the boy died due to the callous attitude of the hospitals. Worried over the rapid spread of dengue and non-availability of beds in hospitals, the Home Ministry too reviewed the situation and directed the city government to take all possible steps. Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi had called Delhi Chief Secretary K K Sharma in this regard and was briefed about the steps taken by the Delhi government to tackle dengue.

“Mehrishi also assured the city government of all Central assistance to handle the situation,” said a Delhi government source.